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In front of a raucous home crowd at the O2 Arena in London, Britain’s Leon Edwards successfully defended his welterweight title against Kamaru Usman by majority decision at UFC 286. The bout was billed as the biggest British MMA fight in history and lived up to the hype, with Edwards proving to be the more dangerous striker throughout the five-round contest.
Despite Usman’s reputation as a dominant wrestler and takedown artist, Edwards was able to stuff the majority of his attempts and keep the fight standing. This allowed Edwards to showcase his superior striking skills, as he landed a number of clean shots on Usman and controlled the pace of the fight.
The victory over Usman marks Edwards’ first title defence since winning the belt in August with a shocking upset victory over the Nigerian. In doing so, Edwards became just the second British UFC champion, following in the footsteps of Michael Bisping, who won the middleweight title in 2016.
Edwards’ success has captured the attention of MMA fans worldwide, and the UFC has responded by booking a trilogy bout and its first numbered show in Britain since Bisping defended his middleweight title against Dan Henderson in Manchester.
Following his latest victory, Edwards opened the door to a potential fight with former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington, who was sitting cageside. However, he also expressed interest in travelling to Miami in April to watch Jorge Masvidal’s fight with Gilbert Burns.
Regardless of who Edwards faces next, his performance against Usman has cemented his status as one of the top fighters in the welterweight division and a worthy champion. In a post-fight interview, Edwards thanked Usman for being a great competitor and expressed his gratitude to his fans and supporters for their unwavering support.
As the MMA world looks ahead to the next chapter in Edwards’ career, there is no doubt that the British champion will continue to make headlines and leave his mark on the sport.