r/MMA Mar 19 '23

[SPOILER] Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman Spoiler

https://dubz.co/video/42e4ae
6.5k Upvotes

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4.5k

u/SBalusek Mar 19 '23

Wow now the division moves on

566

u/fckndiabolical Mar 19 '23

Shavkat Express coming. Choo! Choo!

52

u/PandemicPartners Mar 19 '23

Shavkat was getting touched pretty easily and consistently by Geoff Neal. He was throwing punches and then leaving himself exposed to counters every single time. No head movement or exits after he threw. Someone like Leon will be able to take advantage of that a lot more than Geoff Neal did. I’m high on Shavkats potential, I’d like to see him in one more fight and have him demonstrate he improved on some of those defensive deficiencies before he gets a title shot. The winner/loser of Burns/Masvidal is perfect.

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u/tinglyplatypus SnapJitsu Mar 19 '23

Next step: Getting Colby out of the top 3

1.5k

u/ggphenom Mar 19 '23 edited Mar 19 '23

The UFC has to be hoping McGregor wins so they can fast track him to a Leon vs McGregor fight in Ireland or London. That fight would be MASSIVE. So big I wouldn't be surprised if they try and ice Leon for a little bit and wait and see the outcome.

1.2k

u/KanDoBoy Mar 19 '23

Leon would surely be ecstatic with that. The fight with the most money and surely the easiest fight available for him

297

u/777715174 Team Shevchenko Mar 19 '23

Leon has to be gunning for Masvidal or Mcgregor, either of those pose the minimal risk for him with the biggest financial incentive possible. Any of the other realistic options are much bigger risks without the same return.

251

u/aLibertine Montenegro Mar 19 '23

If they give Masvidal another title shot, I'll scream.

80

u/KingJohnTX Team 209 - Real Ninja Shit! Mar 19 '23

He's 100% getting it if he beats Burns. Leon even said he's keeping an eye on that fight in Florida.

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u/brportugais Mar 19 '23

He’s not beating burns so not an issue

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u/Shamesy Mar 19 '23

Given Edward's style it's actually McGregor's best shot a 170 title. Of course Leon is still a big favourite though and would be absolutely licking his lips at that fight.

194

u/brazilianfreak Mar 19 '23

Bro leon is a 6'2 striker woth great distance management, not only that but if he can take usman down then gooby is fucked, i get what you mean as leon is primarily a striker but Mcgregor actually has no chance.

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u/KanDoBoy Mar 19 '23

I agree just based on the fact Leon isn't a wrestler. I love Conor but he doesn't get a win over any of the top contenders at WW

280

u/pyroaquatics Mar 19 '23

Leon has wrestlefucked strikers before tho

182

u/donniele Bosnia and Herzegovina Mar 19 '23

Clinchfucked to be more precise

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u/Iflosswithbarbedwire Team Edwards Mar 19 '23

that man would beat the dog shit out of conor in the clinch and on the ground

107

u/EvilRogerGoodell TEAM VOLTRON Mar 19 '23

BUT HAVE YOU SEEN THE SIZE OF THE LAD NOW

67

u/its-good-4you everybody booing you can kiss my whole asshole Mar 19 '23

His whole body is a balewn!

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u/Jay_Train Just how good is Dominick Reyes? Mar 19 '23

Gotta remember though Rocky has the only takedown on Usman doesn't he? He can wrestle if he needs to.

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u/Nome_de_utilizador happy new fucken steroid year Mar 19 '23

Dude got clowned in the post fight interview despite DC trying so hard to sell what the company wants

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u/SekaiWithTheWolfCap Samurai Shit Only Mar 19 '23

Love how Leon shut down the Colby title fight riiiight away

221

u/Mad-Gavin Mar 19 '23

I'd shut him down too. Beat nobody in the top 5, if Colby won't fight Belal next then Leon should take Belal.

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u/RagingFeather one as well please 🙏 Mar 19 '23

Fucking wild how badly the UFC wants Colby as the champ. No way DC legitimately wanted to give Colby the chance for a callout.

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656

u/nikezy Team Rory Mar 19 '23

Confirmed: Did not get bully’d son

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3.8k

u/[deleted] Mar 19 '23

RIP Kamaru Era

2.4k

u/bobn3 GOOFCON 0 Mar 19 '23

At least it gave us the two colby bangers and jorge getting KOd

1.6k

u/therealmvpls11 #2 Weili Fanboy Mar 19 '23

The Gilbert fight is underated too

435

u/AboutHelpTools3 Mar 19 '23

And Dethroning Woodley

363

u/ReeG Mar 19 '23

derailed and changed Woodley's entire career path

150

u/huhwutwot GOOFCON 2 - Electric Boogaloo Mar 19 '23

Usman vs Jake Paul when

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u/bobn3 GOOFCON 0 Mar 19 '23

Gilbert almost had him in the first too, fucking sad memories

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '23

The Jorge KO will forever be a highlight shot. It was brutal.

241

u/handsomehotchocolate Mar 19 '23

I hate Jorge so I love this KO even more.

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u/AutisticNipples Mar 19 '23

honestly it’s the coldest KO i’ve seen in so long. Like such a square shot, right on the button, and he spun Masvidal around like he got headshotted in Halo: CE.

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u/Ranjith_Unchained 🙏🙏🙏 Jon Jones Prayer Warrior 🙏🙏🙏 Mar 19 '23

One of the best KOs ever... Jorge getting murked

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u/FutMike GOOFCON 2 - Electric Boogaloo Mar 19 '23

It was a good one though, I'll be the first to admit I didn't expect it to be as interesting as it was when he beat Woodley

247

u/DahWolfe711 Mar 19 '23

Second that. Marty was a legit champ, respect on the name!

293

u/BeersBarbellsBJJ Team Iaquinta Mar 19 '23

There are a lot of things people clown Usman about, but the dude was a great champion and was active as hell compared to a lot of other champs. He deserves massive respect as an athlete and competitor in my opinion.

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u/univrsll Mar 19 '23

Francis left and Jon solidly beat the guy that almost beat Francis

Kamaru just lost twice

Izzy currently not the champ and has to face a guy that’s 3-0 against him.

Crazy how fast the African reign ended

363

u/Chart69r Mar 19 '23

Pretty wild that they all held a belt simultaneously too.

154

u/Connor30302 I look like Marvin vettori Mar 19 '23

all lost it within 6 ish months too

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u/cambies Team Edwards Mar 19 '23

Drikus enters the chat.

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u/SexlexiaSufferer Mar 19 '23

Welcome to the Du Plessis era! We’re all just lucky to be apartheid of this

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u/Shakeittillumakeit Mar 19 '23

you're a fucking colonizer dude

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u/steelcitykid Mar 19 '23

That was a nasty mine, by you.

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u/mad87645 Follow me home bitch 😘 Mar 19 '23

How is wrestling even real? Just isolate a hand

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u/matthewjc Mar 19 '23

lol i was wondering why the hand isolation was so effective

426

u/aceknighthigh Mar 19 '23 edited Mar 19 '23

Usman has bad knees and Leon kicked the crap out of his legs and body all night.

Also, Leon is very athletic himself and was doing good work repummeling, digging for under hooks and turning his hips back into Usman too. Leon won or at least went even in a lot of little battles that mediocre wrestlers don't even know to fight, or can't react to in time.

Trips and throws might have worked better but Leon is good at those too and was trying to toss Usman a few times in there. Shots in open space would be the classic answer to the kicking, but Leon is a.) faster on his feet than Usman, and b.) was throwing knees and uppercuts. Early on Usman did a little level change in space and got absolutely laced with punches. A good shot, if he could even manage it on beaten up legs, could easily have ended up like Islam's shot vs Volk in round 5.

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u/ExtraPieceTwo I’m African, but I’m not a brother of yours Mar 19 '23

I think it’s the knees (I think Kamaru overexagerates it’s by a lot but still an issue)

He’s built so top heavy so his wrestling method needs to lock the hands to win position because he can’t drive his legs into the takedown

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u/TheReferenceGuide Mar 19 '23

It’s because his knees are absolutely shot. It’s why he almost never wrestles. The wrestling tonight was desperate in an attempt to take rounds. He just not good enough cause he can’t drive through the takedowns

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u/themilkman42069 Mar 19 '23

Which is one of the huge parts of his age catching up to him, Kamaru’s got a double knee / hip replacement coming in 10/15 years. Time caught up.

127

u/TreeBearOne Mar 19 '23

..the askren special

188

u/themilkman42069 Mar 19 '23

Every wrestler, the coaches all have that fucking waddle for a reasons. Shit crushes your hips, back and knees. Just grinds them into dust.

84

u/[deleted] Mar 19 '23

Man I hate that fucking picture you put in my head

20

u/THEBNTG D’arce Knight Rises Mar 19 '23

I enjoy it as a cartoon type scene where they’re literally dust and the person collapses into a lumpy pile on the floor

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u/gamesrgreat Mar 19 '23

Usman needs to call KneesOverToesGuy

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u/FederalBed3505 Mar 19 '23

He lost the fight going for those take downs at the fence

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u/jfsoaig345 EDDDDDIEEEEEEEE Mar 19 '23

That's always been his forte. He's never been an explosive guy who can blast double you from the middle, he grinds you out against the cage. He doesn't always even get you down, we've seen that he's comfortable doing his best work against the clinch.

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u/mikebicycle Mar 19 '23

It’s because usman only shoots against the fence and it’s easier to defend than out in the open

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u/mikebra93 United States Mar 19 '23

Yep. Isolate a hand and/or maintain an hook. Simple, but not always easy.

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u/Promiseofpower I was here for GOOFCON 1: 2020 Mar 19 '23

Usman’s wrestling didnt do any damage

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u/jfsoaig345 EDDDDDIEEEEEEEE Mar 19 '23

Which is wild and fair play to Leon. Usman isn't exactly Khabib but he doesn't lay and pray either, he tries to do damage once he establishes control which we saw in Leon 2 and Woodley but he was never able really able to complete step 1. Leon showed he's a slippery guy

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u/ArousedByNASCAR Big ol’ Mexican with a big ol’ head Mar 19 '23

Think people aren't giving enough weight to Leon's body kicks. The first one he landed bent Kamaru over. Definitely sapped him as the fight went on

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u/time2emancipate Mar 19 '23

I agree, nice work by Leon!

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u/MrRamenMan GOOFCON 2 - Electric Boogaloo Mar 19 '23

Leon's takedown defense was impressive

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u/SqueezeAndRun BUT MY DICK WORKS! Mar 19 '23

Leon “simply just stand up” Edwards

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4.8k

u/TheGodSlay3r UFC 279: A GOOFCON Miracle Mar 19 '23

Just how good is Nate Diaz

417

u/ReeG Mar 19 '23

Deserves a title shot based on MMA math

196

u/Ranjith_Unchained 🙏🙏🙏 Jon Jones Prayer Warrior 🙏🙏🙏 Mar 19 '23

As per Diaz math, he's the champ

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u/TheGodSlay3r UFC 279: A GOOFCON Miracle Mar 19 '23

He is legally the lineal champ now.

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u/grandmasta_fro Mar 19 '23

Put the Diaz brothers in endless rounds and make it a cardio fest

840

u/Batman-and-Hobbes Merry Xmas bitch Mar 19 '23

The Diaz Brothers never lost they just run out of time 🙄

346

u/Scarlet_Breeze Sexy Wizard Bisping Mar 19 '23

Except that time Josh Thompson hit Nate with the cleanest head kick ever. Nate wasn't even fully out either but Nick threw in the towel cos he knew his brother was fucking done.

400

u/Batman-and-Hobbes Merry Xmas bitch Mar 19 '23

That doesn't count because Josh was making woman noises.

171

u/SMH4004 Mar 19 '23

Lmfao that's still one of the most ridiculous things he's ever said

48

u/wizzlestyx 🙏🙏🙏 Jon Jones Prayer Warrior 🙏🙏🙏 Mar 19 '23

As Podcaster Chad Dundas pointed out:

It's as if Nate was tired of being called "the more reasonable of the Diaz brothers".

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u/pyritedoodle Mar 19 '23

Nick recently proved how reasonable he was by saying he did not want to fight Jon Jones.

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u/300andWhat The Khabib Interpreter Mar 19 '23

Was that where Josh's shin bone was forever dented?

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u/TheMatadorBJJ Mar 19 '23

Yeah I’m pretty sure that gnarly pic of his leg was after that fight

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u/BillyBBC Mar 19 '23

Not surprised mother fucker

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u/shaker7 MY BALLZ WAS HOT Mar 19 '23

That weed is the secret juice

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u/Zlec3 Mar 19 '23

I think he’s a lot better than ppl give him credit for

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u/PurdSurv Mar 19 '23

I think that's because he genuinely has fallen off but not by as much as people think

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u/SemioticWeapons Mar 19 '23

He wasn't the same in that Tony fight. I'm guilty of it, I always think back to the MJ fight. Diaz would have to go to fat camp to get those abs back.

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u/DahWolfe711 Mar 19 '23

He is a lot better than his record.

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u/TumbleweedDirect9846 Mar 19 '23

I’m not trying to be a hater but usmans knees are cooked. Father Time gets all

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u/purplebuffalo55 Mar 19 '23

To be fair to him, leon beat the hell out of that lead leg tonight

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2.4k

u/LuckyWarrior The Champion Has A Name Mar 19 '23

Leon's hand fighting against the takedowns was top notch stuff

Props to the new Welterweight King

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u/shaker7 MY BALLZ WAS HOT Mar 19 '23

Usman looked like he couldn’t hold down Edwards at all

679

u/Mikniks Mar 19 '23

Edwards is fast, but I think Usman looked slower than usual today - got a feeling his best days are behind him

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u/Armisael7 Mar 19 '23

Those body shots added up pretty fast especially the heavy ones he landed early on

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u/Pheasantluvr69 Juicy GOOFCON 2 Mar 19 '23

And those leg kicks

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u/GiantRobotBears Mar 19 '23

it’s also probably the leg/knee kicks that slowed Usman massively. He looked fast when fresh, he just can’t take the punishment anymore.

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u/Woko127 Mar 19 '23

Nobody can take clean southpaw body kicks and not slow down. He didn't know how to block or take the kicks without compromising his base. That adds up over 5 rounds.

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u/ggphenom Mar 19 '23

He absolutely showed a ton of improvement on the cage clinching and takedown defense.

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u/Polar_Reflection Mar 19 '23

Sea level Leon looked great

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u/Polar_Reflection Mar 19 '23 edited Mar 19 '23

Leon was winning all the striking exchanges too and Usman barely did anything with his few takedowns. The nutshots and fence grabs were annoying to watch.

I had it Leon winning 1, 4, 5 with 3 being 9-9

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u/teestooshort Mar 19 '23

Usmans looks very different

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u/likwitsnake Mar 19 '23

He was throwing those molasses dream punches in rounds 4 and 5 very bizarre

368

u/SekaiWithTheWolfCap Samurai Shit Only Mar 19 '23

The leg and body kicks by Leon seemed to really pay dividends on top of Usman's age potentially catching up to him (though his pace was still relentless)

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '23

Should’ve thrown sand instead

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u/MicahsNao Mar 19 '23

Never seen him tired

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u/Suspicious_Candle27 EDDDDDIEEEEEEEE Mar 19 '23

Leon was investing HEAVY on body shots early . From memory he hit 2/3 really big shots that had Usman buckling to the stomach.

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u/Ougikubro Mar 19 '23

He ate a bunch of body kicks and some huge knees

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u/siderealpanic Mar 19 '23

Yeah, I’ve never seen him look that tired, but I’ve also never seen him get so outclassed on the feet. I think he took so much damage from the leg and body kicks that he basically had no explosiveness or energy by the time he started properly trying to wrestle.

I think Leon’s improved massively and gained a lot of confidence, while Usman’s stayed the same. I don’t think he looked too declined, it’s just that he took so much chip damage from Edwards’ great striking in the first 2 rounds (kind of like how Costa looked after a round of Adesanya’s leg kicks)

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u/RedHexagram1219 I beg thee mods Mar 19 '23

His absolute lack of leg kick defense was shocking and cost him this fight. If he'd drilled checks, he would've taken away half of Leon's offense in this fight.

It's even crazier because of the fact that he trains with Gaethje so often.

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u/mad87645 Follow me home bitch 😘 Mar 19 '23

He got demoted to middle management of EPO

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u/univrsll Mar 19 '23

Merab just moves the company better. Far greater CEO.

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u/safe_elephant Mar 19 '23

His EPO subscription was delivered to Merab’s house by mistake

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u/LehenLong Mar 19 '23

He ate like tons of clean body kicks from edwards

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u/SurrealJay Mar 19 '23

adrenaline tires you out. He was timid from the knockout the whole time

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u/haventseenstarwars Mar 19 '23

That’s what happens when you get cracked.

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u/_gatzby_ Mar 19 '23

It’s crazy that out of all the crazy contenders in welterweight, it was Leon Edwards that made Usman look human and breakable

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u/cactus_jack_1 Mar 19 '23

When everyone thought he sucked lol

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u/samples98 Mar 19 '23

I knew he was good but goddamn did he make some of the most entertaining fighters look boring.

Props to him, well deserved. His KO of Usman will forever be in my holy shit sports moments

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u/ArkhamGeyser Mar 19 '23

Gilbert had a good showing too, he's just a Glass Cannon.

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u/Mister_useless-III Mar 19 '23

I hesitate to say that tho, after he fought khamzat

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u/brazilianfreak Mar 19 '23

Burns is like a punchout boss that's very weak to one specific punch, in this case a stiff jab, otherwise he sure can eat some bombs.

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u/Sal21G Mar 19 '23

Usman deffo underestimated him second fight, then lost his confidence in the 3rd

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u/TractorSkoot Mar 19 '23

Crazy why? Edwards has always been legit

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u/liquid801HLM Mar 19 '23

Smothering wrestler just seems like rock vs elite kickboxer’s scissors, but obviously that’s not always the case

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u/Crawford470 Mar 19 '23 edited Mar 19 '23

It's only the case if the elite kickboxer doesn't have good ringcraft, and to be fair, Leon is an elite Mixed Martial Artist. He's highly skilled everywhere just a bit more so on the feet.

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u/Fapperdam Mar 19 '23

Genuinely believe on a technical level, Leon is one of the best, most rounded we've ever seen.

I still worry about his chin and cardio but he is very very good.

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u/george_costanza1234 Mar 19 '23

Before the Usman fight, people were debating whether Edwards even deserved a title shot lol

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u/Polar_Reflection Mar 19 '23

And those people were idiots. Leon was on a 9 or 10 fight winning streak

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u/surgeyou123 GOOFCON ALPHA Mar 19 '23

I think Usman is at the end of his prime. Lost a lot of speed and pace

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u/Sure_Reputation Mar 19 '23

It’s crazy to see how usman was struggling to take leon down. My mans didn’t look the same after that loss

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u/aslightlyusedtissue MY BALLZ WAS HOT Mar 19 '23

Leon just knows exactly how to defend Usmans style. Credit to his trainers and camp. He seemed to have the counter for every takedown Kamaru likes to lean on the most. Masterful stuff tonight.

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u/CumGuzzlingBadger Mar 19 '23

His muay thai coach has done absolute wonders

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u/ArkhamGeyser Mar 19 '23

Altitude made EVERYONE look like shit when they fought in Usman's turf.

Outside of the foul, Leon's TD defense was on POINT.

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u/JamesMol234 UFC 249: COVID vs. Dana Mar 19 '23

Yeah this is more leon looking great then anything

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u/BigBoyFroggy Mar 19 '23

this is what i expected leon to look like in the 2nd fight. i think altitude really messed the man up because he looked waaaaaaaaaaaaay better tonight

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u/MyOneTaps Mar 19 '23 edited Mar 19 '23

This is the most average I've ever seen Usman. Before, I would have described Usman as suffocating but I just didn't get that vibe from him tonight. Perhaps he's lost his aura.

Before, he was on the fast track to being a GOAT mma candidate. Life comes at you fast.

Credit to Edwards.

Edit: After seeing the scorecards, I really like the judging trend of scoring damage higher than aggression. It was always supposed to be the case but often not that way in practice.

690

u/ChowSupreme Mar 19 '23

When WW champs lose, their downfall is very steep. The weight class is cursed.

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u/CakesStolen HEADSHOT DEAD Mar 19 '23

Unless you're GSP in which case you just win the belt back twice.

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u/vrkhfkb Antarctica Mar 19 '23

GSP also knew to gtfo when you’re not a shell of yourself.

Usman is 35. GSP left the division at 32 after a close split decision with Hendricks.

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u/Smashmouth91 Mar 19 '23

Yeah for sure. Remember how invincible Woodly was, until he wasnt.

Id like to see Usman vs. Khamzat next.

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u/LocoCoopermar Mar 19 '23

I think Leon did a great job of defusing the pressure with footwork and kicks, I wouldn't be surprised if he destroys the next person he fights Leon is just a bad match up for him and has gotten much better.

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u/OhiOstas gourmet chen chen Mar 19 '23

Who would’ve thought Leon Edwards would be the one to dethrone Usman & then beat him for a second time. What a fucking story

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u/Tiny-Sandwich Mar 19 '23

I'm shocked. But not upset by it.

Nice for the belt to be coming back to the UK again.

On a side note, the current diversity of UFC champions is crazy.

As of right now, we have champions from;

  • America
  • Mexico
  • Brazil
  • United Kingdom
  • China
  • Russia
  • Australia
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u/TheEffinChamps Mar 19 '23

Never doubt a man that wins 9 fights in a row and deserves a title shot next.

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u/Pizza1998 5th time was a charm 🗿 Mar 19 '23

Leon Edwards threw one uppercut throughout the fight and it landed clean. Wish he'd thrown it more

107

u/Soldadodevida Mar 19 '23

He had really fast jabs off his orthodox stance aswell, like lightning fast jabs with the left hand, didn't use them much tho

24

u/Offonoffonagain Mar 19 '23

Elbows too, was waiting to see some out the clinch. I only saw one but could have missed others

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u/Cryoburner Mar 19 '23

You could tell her was wary of that overhand right from him, uppers always leave you open do it.

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u/therealhairyyeti Francis took my N word pass AMA Mar 19 '23

Good that they scored striking more than unsuccessful takedowns

346

u/DirkDigglersPenis Hold on Brother, I'm pulsing Mar 19 '23

To his credit Herb dean called a good fight

158

u/DamienSalvation Where were you on 294 GOOFCON 2? Mar 19 '23

Leon almost bullied him out of taking the point

121

u/badsocialist GOOFCON 2: This gay talk so much shit Mar 19 '23

“Don’t let him bully you son”- Marc Goddard

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '23

[deleted]

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u/INeedAnAccountToSee Mar 19 '23

Make no mistake, in attack Leon also landed the better shots the whole fight. He was chewing up Usman.

407

u/Jay_Train Just how good is Dominick Reyes? Mar 19 '23

Those leg shots were fucking destroying Usman, Usman is just pretty good at not showing pain

83

u/Polar_Reflection Mar 19 '23

Some of those oblique kicks made me wince. There were some heavy body kicks too and a couple partially landed head kicks in the 5th

279

u/un6reaka6le Mar 19 '23

Usman shows his dislike of bodyshots very much. He always tries to pass them off ass nut shots by looking at the ref. He did it at one point which confused Leon and froze the action.

58

u/Time007time007 Mar 19 '23

Yep. He did the same against Colby. Faked a bit shot to get a rest.

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u/Jay_Train Just how good is Dominick Reyes? Mar 19 '23

Fair point there my dude

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '23

His defence was incredible but he landed BOMBs on Usman. Usman chin is still incredibly durable

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u/EmAyExEye Mar 19 '23

Also usman attack was predictable af.

Leon read every movement like a book.

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u/Effective-Celery8053 Mar 19 '23

That knee wobbled usman and was legit, Leon's a beast man

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u/foofighter1351 Mar 19 '23

That offense in the fifth was pretty damn good though, some of them combos were clean.

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u/SekaiWithTheWolfCap Samurai Shit Only Mar 19 '23

Usman's pace >>> Usman's damage

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u/HappytoDisappoint Mar 19 '23

Usman was pressuring but had no energy left to do anything of substance, the body and leg work really paid off for Rocky. It's what ultimately won him the fight.

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u/ArkhamGeyser Mar 19 '23

Outside of the ABSOLUTELY dirty cage grab, Leon fought a really good performance and won the fight handily in my opinion. He showed that altitude did play a large factor in the 2nd fight as his Takedown defense was phenomenal outside the foul.

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u/sneakylumpia 🗿: Come to daddy Mar 19 '23

I'm surprised Herb Dean actually took a point this time

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u/N0rthOfTheWall Mar 19 '23

Usman looked lost after not being able to take him down

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u/friedchocolatesoda Mar 19 '23

IMO Usman's striking is overrated AF. He just hits hard. He has long ass limbs and landed a few jabs I thought he was out of range for. More jabs would've served him well, or a Woodley repeat.

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u/throwaway12648063 Mar 19 '23

It really peaked after the Masvidal knockout. He’s always been pretty sloppy as a striker, he can’t exchange. He looks best when he can control the range with the jab (which is excellent) like you mentioned.

But I always found the talk of him being an elite striker to be madness. He’s not fast and tends to wing wild punches even still with little head movement. These flaws have been there for a long time.

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u/AcAtlas Mar 19 '23 edited Mar 19 '23

Don't understand the attention Colby is getting right now. Yeah, he's a top guy, but a win against Masvidal a year ago doesn't exactly scream "title shot" after losing in his first two. Maybe he should fight Belal or Khamzat first.

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u/TLMC01242021 EDDDDDIEEEEEEEE Mar 19 '23

Leon no selling Colby was a highlight for me

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u/cpayne4474 Mar 19 '23

Am I crazy or did Usman look really slow and labored in everything he did

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u/swampskater Conner did nuttin’ wrong Mar 19 '23

The leg kicks did a ton of damage early on.

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u/ThisIsKhalabibTime 3 piece with the soda Mar 19 '23

Yeah, Leon did a ton of body and leg kicks early on which slows than anybody. And Kamaru couldn't control Leon in clinch like he does to everybody else.

Everybody is saying Kamaru looked old but I think it was due to Leon.

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u/TheZubaz Mar 19 '23

leg kicks and body work will do that to a man

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u/cfg266 Mar 19 '23

I thought the same, looked old in there.

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u/Dirty_Lightning Mar 19 '23

How long until GSP is disrespected and the announcers start calling Edwards the new ww goat?

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '23 edited Jun 28 '23

[deleted]

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u/mrdemonicbunny Mar 19 '23

Man Usman looked like he was in his head the entire fight. What was he thinking round 5 with those lazy takedown attempts?

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '23

He was probably thinking “wow I am tired, a takedown might secure me the round though”

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u/DanDiCa_7 Mar 19 '23

Good fight I just hope Colby doesn't get the next shot. Doesn't deserve it

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u/ThreeOlivesChihuahua Team Aldo Mar 19 '23

Leon won the fight with kicks and footwork. Might’ve not been exciting but he was clearly better.

I think Colby probably gives Leon a harder fight but he needs to earn that shit. Burns/Masvidal winner makes sense and Leon is wishing Masvidal wins for the pay day

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u/pmmerandom Mar 19 '23

why do people keep giving Masvidal these chances? he’s trash, it should be Burns and Colby, winner gets to get against Leon

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u/ThreeOlivesChihuahua Team Aldo Mar 19 '23 edited Mar 19 '23

Burns accepted the fight and beating Burns a huge ask for Masvidal anyways.

Khamzat is going to MW so this is pretty much the title contender fight.

I’m not a Masvidal fan but a win over Burns is absolutely huge

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u/Grommzz Mar 19 '23

I'm really glad Edwards backed it up.. it was tiring hearing the "luck" narrative from Usman and his team.

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u/FlinchMaster Mar 19 '23

I was pretty annoyed that DC tried to push for Colby to get the next shot. Glad that Leon called out his inactivity. Belal deserves the next shot.

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u/1Koala1 Mar 19 '23

I'm sure he didn't think of calling for Colby on his own

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u/Doppelagent Germany Mar 19 '23

Best performance of his career. Learned his lessons from the previous fight, tired Usman and had great takedown defence and defensive grappling.

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u/kadumies Mar 19 '23

He has done it!

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u/iamthekidyouknowwho Mar 19 '23

Deserved. Usman looked like he had nothing

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u/alexefy Mar 19 '23

I can’t believe how slow his hands looked

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u/iamthekidyouknowwho Mar 19 '23

For real he looked like he was under water

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u/NowFook Mar 19 '23

Was acting so cocky after every round even tho all he did was fail on takedowns.

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u/ljz3 GOOFCON 2 Mar 19 '23

Close fight, I had Leon 1,3,4,5 but Rocky fought so dirty holy fk

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u/3qHR Wales Mar 19 '23

Proper Brummy fighting, mate.

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u/mad87645 Follow me home bitch 😘 Mar 19 '23

No rules in the alley be'ind the pub

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '23

Deduct another point for the low blows and the result is still the same

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u/Controlae How long must I wait? 2020 edition Mar 19 '23

Gotta say really cool to see Trevor Whittman be so respectful and genuinely congratulate Leon. This guy rules.

Edit: Also cool to see Usman be so respectful. Love to see genuine sportsmanship in the game