Leon Edwards’ team perfectly masterminded head kick KO of Kamaru Usman in behind-the-scenes footage
>
Incredible behind-the-scenes footage reveals Leon Edwards’ team masterminded head kick KO of Kamaru Usman PERFECTLY before ‘Rocky’ pulled it off with less than a minute to go at UFC 278
- Leon Edwards KO of Kamaru Usman won him the welterweight title at UFC 278
- Behind-the-scenes footage shows his team masterminding his crucial head kick
- Edwards’ stunning kick looks set to go down as one of the sports’ greatest KOs
- Trainer Dave Lovell had already gone viral after his rousing mid-fight pep talk
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Behind-the-scenes footage of welterweight champion Leon Edwards’ preparation for UFC 278 shows his team perfectly planning the brutal head kick that proved decisive against Kamaru Usman in Salt Lake City on Saturday night.
The video shows ‘Rocky’ and his Team – Renegade MMA – watching back clips of Usman, before rigorously drilling landing a kick from a side angle, rather than straight on, in training.
The move – lauded as one of the greatest head kick knockout in the sport’s history – proved fatal for Usman, who fell with less than a minute to go as Edwards appeared destined for defeat on the scorecards before flooring the welterweight champion.
Leon Edwards knocked Kamaru Usman out with a head kick in the last round of their UFC 278 clash
In the video, Edwards’ trainers are shown watching footage of the former welterweight champion, with Dave Lovell saying: ‘If he starts throwing some shots and dipping his head away, that’s where we’re looking for the head kick.’
Lovell is then shown running drills with his fighter, talking him through the movements that he had determined would bring about the end of Usman.
He adds: ‘That’s when he’ll circle out a bit as well [after a combination of blows] and we’ll go with the high kick.’
The footage shows how Edwards’ Team Renegade MMA trainers masterminded the victory
Edwards (red shorts) looked set for defeat on the scorecards before unleashing the brutal kick
This unique look at Edwards’ preparation is not the first time that his trainers have shown their mettle in helping the new welterweight champion earn his title.
A clip of the English trainer has gone viral after he was shown rallying Edwards with a rousing pep talk after a less than dominant performance in a fight that looked set to go in favour of Usman before the Jamaica-born fighter’s last minute heroics.
Prior to the fifth round, the UFC star’s coach could be heard geeing his fighter up in footage which has since gone viral online.
Joe Rogan, who was commentating on the fight, was left stunned by the head kick
Nigerian Usman initially won his UFC welterweight champion title from Tyron Woodley in 2019
An impassioned Lovell said to Edwards as his title shot slipped away from him: ‘You’ve got to stop feeling sorry for your f**king self.
‘Come on then, what’s wrong with you?!
‘Come on Leon, you got this man.’
After the stirring speech, Edwards was on hand with one of the most iconic knockouts in recent UFC history, whipping a ferocious kick into the head of Usman and sending him crashing to the canvas.
Leon Edwards’ coach has gone viral for his pep talk before the Brit’s KO of Kamaru Usman
‘Rocky’ is likely to face Usman once again in a trilogy fight but there are some other options