The Nigerian Nightmare

Not too long ago, Kamaru Usman ruled the welterweight division with an iron fist.  Usman had overwhelmed the entire division with his wrestling and pressure en route to the title.  He finished Colby Covington in a thrilling war.  He then won a dominant decision against Jorge Masvidal.   Furthermore, his striking improved noticeably after pairing with Trevor Wittman.  He overcame a tough start against Gilbert Burns, finishing him in the third round.  Then, in a rematch against Masvidal, he knocked him out cold.  He proceeded to defeat Colby Covington in another thrilling fight, dropping him twice in the second round.  By this time, Usman’s title defenses became almost a foregone conclusion.  He frequently entertained the idea of moving up in weight, having seemingly cleared out his division.

Kamaru Usman, image – MMA Fighting

In the meantime, Leon Edwards had put together an impressive run of his own.  He cleanly beat Rafael dos Anjos and Nate Diaz.  However, most people expected Usman to successfully defend the title against him.  After all, the two had fought already, and Usman won a convincing decision.  Despite Leon’s skills, many questioned his ability to handle a fighter with Usman’s pace and pressure.  

The Fateful Fight

Up until the end, the fight itself largely corroborated fan expectations.  Edwards showed off his skills in the first round, scoring an impressive takedown of his own.  However, Usman asserted himself in the next three rounds, while Edwards fatigued more and more.  Leon still looked relatively listless for most of the fifth round.  Then, as we know, he set up a head-kick that completely changed the division’s history.

Image – MMA Fighting

Today

Usman was less than a minute away from racking up another expected title defense.  Instead, he found himself tasting defeat in the UFC for the first time.  If he had won, many would have clamored for Usman to move up a division, or perhaps entertain a crossover fight.  Instead, Usman would lose to Edwards again in the rematch.  Now, Belal Muhammad, once outside the top 10, sits atop the division Usman once ruled.  Hungry contenders such as Shavkat Rakhmanov, Jack Della Madallena, and more all covet the belt.  This saga should remind MMA fans that, at any given moment, the scene as they know it could change completely.