Kamaru Usman didn’t speak to the media following UFC 278.
Understandable, as the man had just taken a rather concussive knock to the head courtesy of the Englishman, Leon Edwards, who would be crowned the new UFC welterweight champion once the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ awoke from his involuntary slumber.
One would assume he was transported to the hospital not long after leaving the ring. Regardless of where he was, the former champion did offer a few sentences on social media following the shock loss, vowing vengeance before congratulating Edwards.
The defeat becomes Usman’s first career loss by knockout, as well as the first time he has been bested under the UFC banner. He moves to 20-2 overall as a professional.
The AllStar MMA roundup
- Inside take: What does an MMA manager do for a fighter? An insider’s view
- UFC Paris: Tai Tuivasa excited to fight Ciryl Gane, doesn’t mind being the underdog “it makes me push harder“
- UFC 279: Julian Erosa likely to make the fight down & dirty against “clean striker” Hakeem Dawodu
The best of the rest
- Dana White: Kamaru Usman ‘fought the perfect fight’ until he got caught by Leon Edwards, trilogy likely next – MMAFighting.com
- Justin Gaethje: Islam Makhachev ‘will not dominate’ Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 – MMAFighting.com
- Unsure of UFC contract status, Paulo Costa might weigh options: ‘I’m glad to be here, but I need to see what’s best for us’ – MMAjunkie.com
- Dana White interested in Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3 at Wembley but ‘scared to go outside’ – MMAJunkie.com
- Kamaru Usman opens as sizeable betting favorite over Leon Edwards in potential trilogy – BloodyElbow.com
The Call
To kick off your week why not clue yourself in on the main and co-main event odds for the historic UFC Paris card, which is scheduled for September 3.
Lines presented by crypto sportsbook Cloudbet:
Tai Tuivasa (15-3) vs Ciryl Gane (10-1)
Robert Whittaker (23-6) vs Marvin Vettori (18-4)
The soapbox
Today on The Soapbox, MMA Twitter reacts to UFC 278:
The morning view
JHK chats with Gilbert Burns on a myriad of topics including who he wants next:
Emily Ducote weighs in in Esparza vs Weili for the starwweight belt:
The Weasle dissects UFC 278:
Chael Sonnen weighs in on the fallout from UFC 278:
Done deals
Monday
- Li Jingliang to fight Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 on September 10th (per UFC announcement)
- Raphael Assuncao to fight Victor Henry at UFC event on October 15th (per UFC announcement)
- Mike Davis to fight Uros Medic at UFC event on October 1st (per David Van Auken)
On this day in MMA…
On the 22nd of August, 2014, The ‘Almighty’ Arnold Allen participated in his last bout under the European Cage Warriors banner, where he’d gained the majority of his professional experience to that point.
Allen bounced back that night after suffering the only loss of his career two months prior, with a unanimous decision win over Gaetano Pirrello.
The then 20-year-old featherweight would fight once more on the England regional circuit before making his UFC debut the following year.
He’s amassed nine wins within the promotion in the time since and is currently ranked 6th in the 145-pound division.
