Teddy Atlas thinks Kamaru Usman acquired overconfident along with his boxing and forgot that he was in an MMA struggle in opposition to Leon Edwards at UFC 278.
Atlas, a world-renowned boxing coach, described how a easy boxing parry led to Usman slipping his head within the flawed path and getting knocked out with a head kick that value him his welterweight championship.
Atlas claims the knockout might have been averted if solely Usman had remembered he was in a combined martial arts struggle and never a boxing match, reminding ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ that there are kicks to fret about in addition to punches in MMA.
“When that throwaway left hand got here at him, he slipped his head to his proper to get away from it, the way in which that you’d in boxing however he forgot this ain’t boxing,” Atlas stated on a current episode of THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas (h/t Low Kick MMA). “That is MMA, that is UFC particularly and there’s kicks to fret about.”
“I believe part of what conspired in opposition to Usman additionally was that he acquired overconfident…you bought to grow to be calm in an unusual surroundings however by no means grow to be comfy, by no means really feel secure in a harmful surroundings,” Atlas stated. “I assumed success harm him that he had the success he had, it virtually grew to become too simple.”
Atlas’ tackle the struggle doesn’t detract from Edward’s victory, with the boxing and MMA analyst giving ‘Rocky’ full credit score for the win.
“He [Edwards] went on the market and he freaking had the resolve to nonetheless be there after shedding solidly within the struggle,” Atlas stated. “He was getting damaged down mentally just a little bit however he didn’t give in, he didn’t say no.”
Usman and Edwards are anticipated to rematch in a trilogy bout subsequent yr, with UFC president Dana White teasing a welterweight showdown within the U.Okay.
