No last-minute kick was needed this time around. Leon Edwards offered up an offense filled with powerful leg kicks and scored the majority decision victory over Kamaru Usman to successfully defend the UFC welterweight title at UFC 286 in London on Saturday night. The scorecards read 48-46, 48-46 and 47-47.
Edwards, backed by the support of a hometown crowd, picked apart the former champion throughout, landing clear strikes and avoiding much of Usman's signature offense.
Usman had a number of bright spots throughout the fight, rattling the champion with punches, but it wasn't enough to get the job done. This second loss to Edwards puts his placement in the welterweight division in flux, but he was resilient after the bout and offered his optimism that he'll meet Edwards once again.
"London, you got yourself a hell of a guy, and a great champion," Usman said after the fight.
Here's how Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim saw all the action as it happened at UFC 286: