Kamaru Usman says he had no plans whatsoever to coast with a big lead in the final round of his last-minute knockout loss to Leon Edwards.
Usman lost the welterweight title to Edwards after the unforgettable head kick in the fifth round at UFC 278 — a fight that saw “Nigerian Nightmare” up 39-37 on all three judges’ scorecards.
While he could’ve taken his foot off the gas to possibly cruise to a unanimous decision, Usman is adamant that he’s just not that guy.
“No, that’s not who I am,” Usman told TMZ. “When I fight, I got petal to the metal and I don’t look at the clock.
” I’m a goer. When I hear [horn], I want to go. And when the ref tells me to ‘Break’, I want to continue. This is how I fight. I wanted the finish, it was just a beautiful technique. Although I could have taken him down I wanted the finish.
The loss was Usman’s first inside the octagon, which snapped a 19-fight win streak in the process.
On multiple occasions, Dana White of
UFC stated that their plan was to hold a tri-fight in the early 2023 hours in London. Usman is looking for the same thing, but more importantly, he’s seeking an opportunity to prove that it’s not about the fall, it’s about the response to it.
“He was throwing head kicks all through the fight. I stopped them all,” Usman stated. It was money. I was almost amazed at how impressive it was. Champions lose, but then come back to show why they are champions .”
