Leon Edwards takes Kamaru Usman’s UFC title with 5th-round head-kick KO

SALT LAKE CITY — Leon Edwards has shocked the MMA world.

With a head kick in the final round of a fight he was handily losing, Edwards knocked out Kamaru Usman to win the UFC welterweight title in the main event of UFC 278 on Saturday night here at Vivint Arena.

The finish came at 4 minutes, 4 seconds of the fifth round. Usman was considered the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.

Edwards snapped Usman’s 15-fight UFC winning streak, which was one off Anderson Silva’s UFC record. It was one of the most stunning knockouts in the history of the sport.

“I can’t put it into words,” Edwards said.

Usman had been dominating the fight after the first round. But late in the fifth, Usman leaned down to his right to defend an Edwards left, and Edwards caught him flush with a left head kick, sending the more than 17,000 in attendance into a frenzy. Usman, who was out on contact, was less than a minute away from a sixth title defense.

Leon Edwards knocked out Kamaru Usman at 4 minutes, 4 seconds of the final round in a fight that Usman had largely dominated. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

The Salt Lake City fans started the night chanting for Usman, but finished it chanting “Rocky,” Edwards’ nickname.

“Look at me now!” Edwards said. “Look at me now! Pound-for-pound one!”

ESPN has Usman ranked No. 1 on its pound-for-pound list and on top at welterweight, as well. Coming in, ESPN had Edwards ranked No. 4 at welterweight. This was a rematch of their December 2015 fight, which Usman won by unanimous decision.

Edwards (20-3, 1 NC) is unbeaten in 11 straight fights over nearly seven years. The Jamaica-born resident of England has not lost since that 2015 fight with Usman. Edwards, 30, has an 12-2 (1 NC) record in the UFC.

Usman (20-2) had five title defenses prior to the loss Saturday. The Nigerian-born fighter, who trains out of Colorado, had been UFC welterweight champion since beating Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 in March 2019.