UFC 278: Leon Edward KO’s Kamara Usman in Stunning Fashion to Become Welterweight Champion

Every so many weeks, the UFC hosts one of its star-studded events which see some of the biggest names in MMA duke it out in the octagon for virtually the entire world to see. Given the UFC’s massive roster, no two events are identical and, as a result, each one provides the UFC with a new opportunity to entertain their hordes of fans around the globe. UFC 278 was especially promising with names such as Jose Aldo, Paulo Costa, Kamara Usman and Leon Edwards suiting up for the event, and by the end virtually everyone would have agreed that UFC 278 delivered. Let's take a closer look at this past Saturday’s best fights, most notably the Main Event which left viewers in shock given the fashion in which it ended and who reigned supreme.

In the bantamweight bout on Saturday evening, Merab Dvalishvili took on the widely revered Jose Aldo best known for his reign atop of the featherweight class when he was champion. Given Aldo’s history, it was a bit of a surprise for fans whe Dvalishvili took him down in a unanimous decision likely based upon the resilience he showed in the face of an incredibly tough opponent. The Co-Main Event was even more interesting, allowing fans to watch a modern day battle of the titans as Paulo Costa also took down his opponent Luke Rockhold by unanimous decision after the two left everything in the octagon with the damage to Rockhold’ face serving as proof. Then last but not least we have the Main Event, the long anticipated rematch between Kamarra Uussman and Leon Edwards. The two first faced off in 2015 in a bout which saw Usman win by decision, and Usman has grown tremendously as a fighter since then. The odds were subsequently in his favor going into Saturday evening’s welterweight fight, and for the bulk of the fight it appeared as though Usman would be walking away with the belt. That was until the 5th and final round when Edwards highlighted just how much gas he has in the tank when he landed a high kick to the face that knocked Usman on his back and knocked him out clean. Edwards was understandably elated to not just beat Usman, but beat him in such stunning fashion to become the UFC’s latest welterweight champion.

Every fight card for any given UFC event usually features at least one of their foremost elite talents; UFC 278 featured several names that could be considered UFC greats, and they all delivered. UFC 278 subsequently served as a reminder of what makes the UFC so special this past weekend: the organization serves as home to some of the premier names in the world in MMA and combat sports, and when it comes time to compete they are prepared to leave it all on the mat in pursuit of their goals. Eager UFC fans now have something special to look forward to as well, assuming that Edwards and Usman will run it back one more time to complete the trilogy and see who comes out on top once and for all. Said fans can remain on the lookout for that fight and plenty others as the UFC continues to entertain the masses for years to come.