UFC champion Israel Adesanya has hailed both Leon Edwards and Usman for putting up a great fight in the UFC 278 on Saturday, as he shared his take on the outcome of the UFC Welterweight championship bout.
Israel Adesanya who appeared shocked by the knockout in the short clip he shared online, where he was watching the fight with a friend watching the fight, hailed the outcome. He explained that the fight game might be a game, but it is not a game to them, the fighters.
He also said that Loon Edwards’s victory was long time coming, as he has been that fighter that has been overlooked for years being the dark hourse of the division.
He said:
“As much as I am happy for Leon, I’m more happy for Tim,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “Because, Tim, our manager, I know how much this meant to him. It’s bittersweet. I’m so happy for Leon and Tim, but then I’m so sad for Kamaru. But then also I know, like the rematch – they’re going to have a rematch clause or something, so I know it’s going to be in there.”
He also captioned the short clip saying:
“What a life…
This game can be bitter seeet at times. Congratulations to both men!! My Dawg Leon Edwards going through adversity and overlooked for years being the dark horse of the division to becoming the new UFC Welterweught Champion! My brother Usman putting on a showcase throughout the fight, overcoming adversity in the first round and coing back in roud 2, 3 and 4 showing what a champion is madwe of. This is the fight game, but this aint a game to us,” he said.
Leon Edwards shocked the world on Saturday, when he dethroned welterweight champion Usman with a last-minute head-kick knockout at UFC 278 and became the first to defeat “The Nigerian Nightmare” in the UFC.
Edwards was down 3-1 on the judges’ scorecards heading into Round 5 and was en route to a decision loss before he landed the blistering head kick that sent shockwaves throughout the MMA community.