For probably the most half, Kamaru Usman couldn’t presumably sound extra serene about his loss to Leon Edwards. The lack of the championship title, the primary knockout defeat of his profession, he actually has causes to get down within the dumps if he’s searching for them. As an alternative, nonetheless, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ appears to have shaken the entire thing off and is searching forward to the longer term.
“I used to be OK. I used to be possibly disillusioned that I misplaced, however I wasn’t bummed like the primary loss I had in my profession,” Usman mentioned on a current episode of the Joe Rogan expertise. “That one f-cked with me. It was the uncertainty of the longer term and likewise as a result of there was nothing I may do, I couldn’t defend myself as a result of I didn’t have the information. That was what harm me probably the most. … With this one it was like, I do know my errors.”
Most of these errors, although, Usman is aware of from video replays of his bout. His precise reminiscence of the occasion? That’s much more spotty. The champion was up huge heading into the final minute of his title bout in opposition to Edwards at UFC 278 when the challenger hid a left excessive kick behind a 1-2 feint. Usman could have been again on his ft by the point the outcomes had been learn, however there’s much more lacking from his reminiscence than simply these couple minutes.
“I used to be good,” Usman mentioned, recounting how he apparently will need to have felt instantly after the KO (transcript through MMA Preventing). “I watched the battle over, I’m good. I used to be speaking, I talked to Trevor [Wittman], I talked to everybody, as a result of you understand you return and then you definitely go within the medical tent they usually handle you and all of that. I talked to my household, I hugged everybody, as a result of it was on video and every part. I bear in mind sitting. It was like, Leon gave me a 20-minute nap.
“I used to be laughing hysterically within the hospital as a result of I needed to go in to get scanned and all of that, which every part was nice. Instantly I come to, I’m within the ambulance, they’re asking, ‘Are you aware the place you’re?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, Salt Lake Metropolis. UFC 278.’ They’re like, ‘What’s your date of delivery?’ I reply them. They’re like, ‘Wow, good.’ I answered every part completely.”
In actuality, it appears most of that dialog is a clean by way of what Usman truly remembers. So far as he was involved he we on the market trying to set Edwards up for a pair extra huge punches—after which he was within the ambulance answering questions on if he knew the place he was.
“I’m shifting, shifting, OK,” Usman remembered. “I’ve acquired him arrange, which I actually didn’t. I shake left, I shake proper, and I’m sitting in an ambulance they usually’re asking me, ‘Are you aware the place you’re at?’ I’m like, ‘What the f-ck?’”
Within the instant aftermath of the bout speak instantly turned to a possible rematch between Usman and Edwards, this time in England, to settle their rating as soon as and for all. Nevertheless, with UFC 279 upcoming and the possibility that Khamzat Chimaev may stroll away from the occasion with one other huge win below his belt, Edwards’ crew just lately made it recognized that they wouldn’t cross on a battle with ‘Borz’ first if that’s the path the UFC needs to go.
