UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards expects Kamaru Usman to be affected by his knockout loss in their last encounter.
Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) dethroned Usman with a stunning head-kick knockout in Round 5 last August at UFC 278 to capture the 170-pound title. With their series tied 1-1, the pair will run things back for a third time in Saturday’s UFC 286 headliner at The O2 in London.
Usman (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) was up 3-1 on the judges’ scorecards and had plenty of success wrestling before Edwards rallied to score the last-minute finish. But Edwards thinks Usman will be impacted by his first-ever knockout defeat.
“Right, for him, the fight was going his way,” Edwards told BT Sport. “What does he change? The way he fought me last is the way he fights. I can’t see him in the space of five, six months now being a totally different fighter. I just can’t see it happening. …
“A knockout affects everyone different. He’s what now, 35, 36 years old? Coming off a knockout and fighting the same guy who’s just knocked him out, so lets see how he comes back and how he reacts.”
Edwards also pointed to the fact that Usman will be in enemy territory when he looks to reclaim his welterweight title – another unfamiliar feeling.
“This will be his first time actually fighting in someone’s backyard,” Edwards said. “This is my hometown show. I’ve never lost in the UK. I use the crowd as energy. I just can’t see how he goes out there and defeats me.”
UFC 286 takes place Saturday at The O2 in London. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.
