Leon Edwards was heading to a decision defeat when he pulled off a spectacular triumph in Salt Lake City.
Having won the opening round, Edwards then struggled against Kamaru Usman’s suffocating wrestling.
But with one minute left on the clock, ‘Rocky’ delivered a walk-off KO to beat ‘Nigerian Nightmare’
He was emotional afterwards and follows in the footsteps of Michael Bisping as second British champion.
‘Rocky’ became the second British champion in the promotion’s history, following in Michael Bisping‘s footsteps, and the finish was as picture perfect as it was dramatic.
With just one minute left on the clock and many already writing the obituary of his title shot, Edwards feinted forwards, drew Usman into a lean to his right where he was unceremoniously dispatched with a shin bone across the jaw.
Referee Herb Dean did not even have to haul Edwards off Usman. Everyone knew from the reaction and contact that it was a one-shot kill.
Usman came around and mouthed: ‘You’ve got to be kidding me’, when the realisation of his fate settled in. It brings an end to his astonishing reign as champion and is the first taste of defeat in the UFC.
This rematch was seven years in the making and back in 2015, Edwards fell short in a unanimous decision loss. Both men have come a long way since then, with Edwards winning 10 on the trot to finally earn his chance.
In the opening round, it looked as though he’d seize it with both hands. He managed to take Usman down and it was the first time the champion had ever been put on his back.
There was the faint threat of a submission but time expired and Usman came roaring back into the contest in the second.
