Leon Edwards pulled off the inconceivable at UFC 278, however his last-minute knockout victory in opposition to Kamaru Usman wasn’t with out controversy.
Former UFC middleweight and light-weight heavyweight title challenger turned MMA analyst and podcast host Chael Sonnen wish to remind us that ‘Rocky’ grabbed the fence a number of instances all through the struggle and needed to be warned and separated by referee Herb Dean.
Though no factors have been formally deducted, Sonnen branded Edwards a cheater, highlighting that the Brit unfairly used the cage to his benefit in opposition to an opponent on monitor to successful the struggle earlier than the pinnacle kick.
“There’s much more in Leon versus Usman and no person spoke of it,” Sonnen mentioned on his YouTube channel (h/t MMA Information). “Kamaru is outwardly an excessive amount of of a gentleman to, together with it seems Kamaru goes to get the rematch so there isn’t any want for it. However Leon cheated in that match a complete bunch of instances. That’s not a headline or a subject that’s on the market anyplace, I don’t wish to be the one to carry that to you.
“I’m a man that operates within the grey, I’m not giving him a tough time…for the story to be advised precisely, no person’s wanting to the touch that. Leon was annoyed in positions and had no manner out of positions to the extent that he cheated repeatedly, not as soon as, not an accident, not the ref didn’t see it… the ref broke the act 5 or 6 instances…”
“So now you’re in a fifth spherical that you simply by no means ought to’ve been in doubtlessly, you’re taking a kick in a struggle that you simply have been successful, that you simply have been making an attempt to complete, and also you had the place you wanted to get mentioned end and the opponent cheated thrice…Leon discovered loads on this struggle. When Leon goes to organize for Kamaru once more, he’s going to have some confidence…it’s a powerful phrase to say cheated, however what different phrase do you wish to use?”
Edwards knocked out Usman to change into the second British fighter to win a UFC title after Michael Bisping, with the win catapulting him to No. 6 within the official UFC males’s pound-for-pound rankings.
