Leon Edwards outpoints Kamaru Usman to retain welterweight title in nervy UFC 286 main event

independent.co.uk:

Leon Edwards edged past Kamaru Usman at UFC 286 on Saturday, retaining the welterweight title in a nervy main event at London’s O2 Arena.Edwards dethroned the dominant Usman in August, stunning the Nigerian-American with a head-kick knockout with one minute left on the clock, after being controlled for the majority of the bout.

That result followed the pair’s 2015 meeting, which Usman won on points with a comfortable grappling showing against the Jamaican-born Briton.And so, fans had been left to guess this week whether Usman would out-wrestle Edwards again en route to victory, or whether his successor could conjure a moment of mixed martial arts magic once more.But ultimately, there was to be no dominant display or deified strike; Edwards’ discipline – and lack thereof, at times – proved decisive.Under the daunting dome of the O2 – which reverberated with every roar from the London crowd – the rivals rounded out their trilogy with their most competitive contest by far.

Thirty-one-year-old Edwards, using a variety of calf, oblique and body kicks, seemed to pull ahead in a tense first two rounds, before the playing field appeared to level out after Round 3.

It was in that third frame that Usman began to find his grappling form, while Edwards was docked a point for holding the fence to stand – although the champion also employed effective defensive wrestling to stand fairly on numerous occasions.In any case, Edwards seemed at risk of losing further points, as referee Herb Dean warned him about holding the glove of Usman, who also complained of multiple alleged kicks to the groin.