Alex Etergino & Jackson Mountford, Reporters
@gino_courant, @jmount_courant
On August 20th, at UFC 278, the biggest upset of the year took place. Pound-for-pound number one fighter in the world, and the reigning, defending Welterweight (170lbs) world champion was knocked out.
The UFC is the world’s most prominent mixed martial arts fighting organization. There are eight weight divisions and roughly 12 “Pay-Per-Views” (PPV) per year. A PPV is when a particular fight card can be purchased for live viewers at home. On each PPV, there are a few dozen fights that lead up to the main card.
On the UFC 278’s main card, champion Kamaru Usman was set to face challenger Leon Edwards. Usman was attempting to defend his belt for the sixth time, in contention for becoming one of the G.O.A.Ts of the sport. After three dominant rounds for the champion and one scrap-round victory from the challenger, Usman went into the fifth round up 3-1 in the scorecards. Usman was a true champion: he kept pressing forward, using his strong jab and excellent cardio to push the pace.
Leon, who was gassed after 20 minutes of getting beaten, needed to go for the knockout. He is a ‘southpaw,’ meaning a lefty fighter, which is right fist forward and left fist behind. Against a righty, you can utilize the left hand or leg to sneak a strike to the chin or temple.
Leon threw a faint right jab, which got Usman to move his head and quickly whipped the shin of his leg into the temple of Usman’s dome. With one shot, the lights shut out for Usman, and he woke up in an ambulance 20 minutes later.
Some called it lucky, but in combat sports, all it takes is one, and Leon Edwards is the new UFC Welterweight champion.
Their rematch is scheduled for early in 2023 – stay tuned!
