In the final minute of the main event of UFC 278 on Saturday, Leon Edwards achieved one of the most memorable title wins in the promotion’s history.
Down on the scorecards despite an encouraging start, Edwards needed the shot of a lifetime and he produced it at the death, knocking out Kamaru Usman with a head kick to become welterweight champion.
Edwards, just the second British champion in UFC history, said before last weekend’s card in Utah that he expected a trilogy bout with Usman – who outpointed him in 2015 – to be next if he were to dethrone the Nigerian-American. But is that the right call?
And what should be next for Paulo Costa and Merab Dvalishvili, who earned decision wins against Luke Rockhold and Jose Aldo respectively on Saturday?
Below, Indy Sport plays matchmaker for the protagonists of UFC 278.
Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman 3
Usman earned a decision win over Edwards in 2015 and, seven years on, was on course to do the same in Salt Lake City.
Having dropped the first round of the rematch to Edwards, courtesy of the Jamaican-born challenger securing the first takedown of Usman in the “Nigerian Nightmare”’s UFC career, Usman hit his rhythm to outgrapple Edwards over the next three rounds. He was also in the drivers’ seat with one minute left in the final frame, until he lost control of the bout and his body as Edwards produced a stunning KO.
Usman’s previous victory over Edwards (20-3, 1 No Contest), largely impressive performance on Saturday, and a dominant run as champion will all count in the 35-year-old’s favour as he targets an instant rematch with the new title holder.
Edwards, 31, is open to such a bout, preferring to face Usman (20-2) again at London’s Wembley Stadium than anywhere else. With Edwards’ title win having captivated and invigorated Britain’s MMA fanbase, the country would represent the perfect location for “Rocky”’s first defence of the belt. Hosting the contest in a stadium would mark the biggest moment in the history of the sport in Britain.
Paulo Costa vs Darren Till
Costa’s unanimous-decision win against ex-middleweight champion Rockhold marked the end of the latter’s career and a significant feather in the former’s cap, but there were some asterisks to the Brazilian’s victory.
Rockhold is 37, had not competed in three years, had not fought at 185lbs since 2018, and was visibly fatigued from partway through the first round on Saturday. The American, hands on his knees in numerous moments, still made it to the final buzzer against Costa, 31, who could not finish Rockhold and was even staggered by some of the former champion’s strikes.
In any case, Costa (14-2) has climbed two spots at middleweight to No 6 in the rankings. However, the former title challenger’s immediate rivals are all occupied. Champion Adesanya, who knocked out Costa in 2020, is set to defend the belt against fifth-ranked Alex Pereira; No 1 contender Robert Whittaker faces third-ranked Marvin Vettori in September; and No 2 Jared Cannonier is scheduled to fight eighth-ranked Jack Hermansson. Furthermore, No 4 Derek Brunson is expected to take on seventh-ranked Sean Strickland.
Liverpool’s Darren Till (18-4-1), who is recovering from injury, will hopefully be healthy in time to face Costa early next year in what would surely be a thrilling striking match-up. A win for either man would represent a victory over a big name and would help that fighter’s venture towards a title shot.
Merab Dvalishvili vs Marlon Vera
Dvalishvili recorded a significant win against Aldo on Saturday, beating the former featherweight champion via unanimous decision. That result lifted the Georgian to No 3 in the bantamweight rankings, though it didn’t gain him many fans.
Dvalishvili (15-4) extended his win streak to eight fights by defeating Aldo, but his victory was achieved through grappling pressure and little else. The 31-year-old failed with the vast majority of his many takedown attempts and was never going to get the better of Aldo in the striking exchanges.
So, who next for Dvalishvili? He has said he will not challenge friend and teammate Aljamain Sterling for the title, but Sterling is set to defend the gold against former champion TJ Dillashaw in October anyway. No 1 contender Petr Yan is scheduled to fight rising star Sean O’Malley on the same night, with that bout potentially crowning the next title challenger.
Just behind Dvalishvili in the rankings is Cory Sandhagen, but he too has a bout booked – against Song Yadong. The only sensible, available option for Dvalishvili is Vera, who is fresh off an impressive knockout of ex-champion Dominick Cruz. Vera (20-7-1) is a real fan favourite right now, and the winner of a clash between the Ecuadoran and Dvalishvili could face the victor of next year’s first bantamweight title fight.
If Dvalishvili were to beat Vera and Sterling were to still be champion by then, the friends would have to figure out how to proceed.
