Eon Edwards retained his welterweight title with a thrilling points decision Kamaru Usman bee UFC 286 in London.
Seven months after his stunning victory over The Nigerian Nightmare in Salt Lake City, the pair fought for a third time and this time in front of Edwards’ home fans at the O2 Arena.
In an action packed fight it was tight all the way around and Edwards got a point deducted in the third round for a fence.
That left it right in the balance as the fight went the distance, but it was Edwards who got the majority decision to extend his undefeated streak to 12 fights.
“He didn’t get any takedowns, I landed cleaner shots,” said Edwards. “I took his legs out.
“Thanks to Kamaru for being a great competitor. I couldn’t get the kick on the head. He had the perfect defense. I tried to set it up with kicks to the body and legs.
“I know it was a close fight so I knew I had to land the cleaner shots. He didn’t land much clean on me. He was just under a lot of pressure.”
Edwards landed sharp leg and body kicks throughout the fight, though his takedown defense was perhaps the most impressive element of his game plan. Usman increasingly tried to work on the ground, but apart from the points deduction, Edwards was very strong.
It’s now back-to-back defeats for Usman against Edwards, following a 19-fight winning streak that included victory over the British man in 2015. The 35-year-old insisted, though he has no intention of retiring.
“I think I did enough to win the fight, but I knew it was close,” he said after the fight.
“He had a great game plan. I’ve always said from the beginning that we would meet again and I’m not done yet. We’ll see each other again.
“I always gave him props for what he has achieved. Much respect. London, you have a great guy and a great champion.
When he was able to return to the octagon, Usman added: “Not too long. I’ll be back with my coaches. I’m one of those guys, I can’t sit for too long.”