Going down a huge run heading into the final round, Edwards blocked a spectacular head kick that destroyed Usman and sent him crashing to the canvas in a heap. Referee Herb Dean was quick to stop the fight as Edwards almost immediately began tearing up as he realized his dream of becoming a UFC champion.
The official stoppage came at 4:04 of the fifth round as Edwards claimed the title in one of the most memorable moments in the sport’s history.
“You all said I couldn’t do it. Look at me now! Shot in the head, dead. That’s it,” Edwards said afterward.
“Never mind the trenches. I’m built that way. I go until the bell ends. Look at me now. I told you I can do it. Pound for pound, what? The belt does not belong to anyone!’
The finish was emphatic, but more importantly, Edwards showed resilience after starting strong, but then began to fade as the fight progressed into the closing rounds.
Edwards was able to reverse an early takedown from Usman before becoming the first person in UFC history to take ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ to the canvas. From there, Edwards quickly moved to take the back and look for the rear naked choke, but Usman survived to reach the end of the round.
The rough start led to aggression from Usman as he came out firing, putting pressure on Edwards and swinging hard shots to the head and body. Usman was still cautious in the exchanges as Edwards countered with some punches, but the reigning champion was connecting with the harder shots.
After some bruising punishment in the cage, Usman secured his first takedown as he began to come off with punches to the body and wear down Edwards’ build-up.
As the third round began, Usman grabbed a leg and again put Edwards down momentarily, but also set the tone as he continued to control the tempo. Usman continued to drag Edwards to the mat as the former Division II National Champion wrestler really began to wear down on the challenger.
Another double takedown followed as Usman tried to break Edwards down with continued pressure followed by short punches that kept coming out. Every time the fight went back to the feet, Usman landed huge shots, including several elbows that hit Edwards in the side of the head.
By the time the fight faded into the fifth and final round, Usman appeared to be in complete control, but Edwards’ trainers urged him to leave everything in the cage and go for a break.
That’s exactly what happened as Usman made a poor call to stand and trade with Edwards in the final moments of the fight. A straight punch that forced Usman to duck his head led to a kick coming from Edwards that landed with shocking force.
As soon as shin met bone, Usman was hit on his back and Edwards raised his arms in victory as he became the second fighter from the UK to win UFC gold (the first was Michael Bisping).
“I can’t explain it,” Edwards said. “God is on my side. I felt like this was my moment. Everyone said I couldn’t go back and do it. Now look at me now. Champion of the world.”
