Fight history
Edwards vs. Usman 2, UFC 278: The Head Kick, the Scorecards and What Came Next
Usman had won 19 fights in a row and three of the first four rounds on every card. With 56 seconds left, one left high kick took the title from him.
Usman
EdwardsAt a glance
- ResultEdwards by KO (left head kick), round 5, 4:04; referee Herb Dean
- The judgesUsman 39-37 on all three cards after four rounds (Chris Lee, Sal D'Amato, Derek Cleary)
- The stakesUsman's title, his 15-fight UFC win streak and a chance to tie Anderson Silva's record of 16
- The statsUsman 83 of 135 significant strikes, 5 takedowns, 10:36 control; Edwards 55 of 75, 1 takedown, the only knockdown
- The first fightUsman by unanimous decision at UFC on Fox 17, December 19, 2015
- Our verdictUsman was clearly ahead; the kick was clean, and the cards were right until it landed
Watch the fight
The UFC's own upload, from its official YouTube channel: a five-minute video from its "Crowning Moment" series, titled for the head-kick knockout. We found no full-fight upload on the UFC's main channel. Tap to play it here.
What was at stake
The UFC welterweight title, and a record. Kamaru Usman had won all 15 of his UFC fights, as Yahoo Sports and 3News report, and 19 in a row in all, as Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports and Covers record. One more UFC win would have tied Anderson Silva's record of 16 straight, as AP, Yahoo Sports and POST Wrestling note. He had won the belt from Tyron Woodley in March 2019 and defended it five times, as theScore, Bleacher Report and the official record show.
He had beaten Leon Edwards before, by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28) on the Fight Pass prelims of UFC on Fox 17 on December 19, 2015, as theScore, BJPenn.com and the official record show. Officially Usman landed 6 of 13 takedowns that night and had 10:46 of control in 15 minutes. Edwards had not lost since: nine wins and a no contest, as AP, Covers and the official record show. He was 30, GMA News and 3News report, and came in at 19-3 with one no contest to Usman's 20-1, according to POST Wrestling, which fits the 20-3 and 20-2 that CBS Sports and AP give afterwards.
The betting made Usman a heavy favorite: -340 to Edwards' +280 at Sherdog, -360 to +280 in CBS Sports, -365 to +300 at FanSided. Covers reported the line opening at -300 and moving to -400.
The official result and the judges' cards
| Winner | Method | Round | Time | Referee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leon Edwards | KO (left head kick) | 5 of 5 | 4:04 | Herb Dean |
The official statistics record a KO/TKO by "Kick to Head At Distance"; Sherdog, Cageside Press and POST Wrestling call it a knockout, UFC Calendar a TKO. The official statistics, Sherdog and Cageside Press name Herb Dean as the referee.
The official statistics, Sherdog, Cageside Press, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports and UFC.com all have 4:04 of round 5, and AP, Yahoo Sports and Fox News report 56 seconds left. CBS Sports called it the fourth-latest finish in a UFC title fight, and the official statistics, through October 2026, still rank it fourth, six seconds earlier than Usman's own stoppage of Colby Covington in December 2019.
The cards stop at four rounds. Chris Lee, Sal D'Amato and Derek Cleary each gave Edwards round 1 and Usman rounds 2, 3 and 4, all 10-9, according to the official cards as UFC Calendar reproduces them; MMA Weekly's report on the official scorecard has the same three rounds for Usman from all three judges. AP, Fox News and theScore give 39-37, and The Independent reports Edwards down on all three cards.
| Judge | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | After 4 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Lee | 10-9 | 9-10 | 9-10 | 9-10 | 37-39 | Usman |
| Sal D'Amato | 10-9 | 9-10 | 9-10 | 9-10 | 37-39 | Usman |
| Derek Cleary | 10-9 | 9-10 | 9-10 | 9-10 | 37-39 | Usman |
Edwards' score first. There are no round-5 scores: the fight ended at 4:04 of the round.
So Edwards needed a finish. A 10-9 fifth would have lost him the fight 48-47 on every card, and even a 10-8 would only have drawn it 47-47, which leaves the belt with the champion.
Round by round
Round 1 - Edwards takes Usman down
Edwards opened with kicks at Usman's lead leg. Usman got on top early, after a slip in Sherdog's account, an awkward exchange in Cageside Press's and a guillotine attempt by Edwards in POST Wrestling's; the official count gives him the takedown. Edwards got up, tripped Usman from the clinch and landed in full mount, as all three describe. It was the first takedown anyone had landed on Usman in the UFC, as Sherdog, Yahoo Sports, 3News and POST Wrestling say and the official statistics confirm; CBS Sports and GMA News call it the first of his career, which we cannot check. Edwards then took the back with a body triangle and hunted the choke, Sherdog and Cageside report. Officially he landed all 13 significant strikes he threw to Usman's 6 of 7, with 2:01 of control to 1:21.
Round 2 - Usman takes over
Usman came forward with heavy punches and Edwards covered up, Cageside Press and POST Wrestling report. An eye poke from Edwards paused the fight, as Sherdog, Cageside and POST Wrestling all note, and Edwards landed a straight left, but late in the round Usman took him down, with about 25 seconds left in Sherdog's timing. Officially Usman landed 36 of 65 significant strikes to Edwards' 20 of 28, the most either man landed in any round, with 1:42 of control.
Round 3 - two more takedowns
Usman took Edwards down twice, the first about a minute in, and worked to his back, as Sherdog, Cageside Press, POST Wrestling and AP all report. Officially: 2 of 3 takedowns, 3:23 of control and 10 significant strikes to Edwards' 7.
Round 4 - Usman in control
Edwards held a standing body lock on the fence, as Sherdog, Cageside Press and POST Wrestling report, but the position came apart and Usman took him down. When Edwards used the fence to get up, Herb Dean put them back where they had been, all three report, and Usman finished the round punching to the head and body. Officially Usman landed 22 of 30 significant strikes to Edwards' 6 of 10, with 2:51 of control to Edwards' 54 seconds and one takedown from two attempts. Edwards' corner pleaded with him before the fifth, as CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports and POST Wrestling report.
Round 5 - the head kick
Usman went for a takedown early. Sherdog has Edwards taken down and straight back up, Cageside Press and POST Wrestling have him staying on his feet, and the official count has no takedown from two attempts, which we follow. Usman held him on the fence, and a kick from Edwards was called low (Sherdog, CBS Sports); on Cageside's replay it landed on the belt line.
With about a minute left Edwards feinted and threw a left high kick. CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports describe the feint as a right jab and 3News as a move that drew Usman's head to the side; Sherdog says he hid the kick behind his left hand, and Joe Rogan described a set-up with the left, Yahoo Sports reports. The kick caught Usman on the head (head and neck, in AP's report), and he was unconscious as he fell, as Sherdog, Cageside Press and POST Wrestling report. Edwards did not follow him down, Yahoo Sports and Sherdog note; he raised his arms, and Dean waved it off at 4:04. The round finished 9 to 9 in significant strikes, the kick included.
What the numbers say
The official statistics, round by round, with Edwards first in every pair (significant strikes landed, takedowns landed, control in seconds):
| Round | KD | Sig. strikes | Sig. thrown | Total strikes | Head | Body | Legs | TD | Control (s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 0 - 0 | 13 - 6 | 13 - 7 | 17 - 36 | 6 - 5 | 4 - 0 | 3 - 1 | 1 - 1 | 121 - 81 |
| R2 | 0 - 0 | 20 - 36 | 28 - 65 | 21 - 47 | 7 - 25 | 9 - 8 | 4 - 3 | 0 - 1 | 0 - 102 |
| R3 | 0 - 0 | 7 - 10 | 10 - 17 | 7 - 38 | 3 - 9 | 3 - 1 | 1 - 0 | 0 - 2 | 0 - 203 |
| R4 | 0 - 0 | 6 - 22 | 10 - 30 | 9 - 54 | 2 - 18 | 2 - 3 | 2 - 1 | 0 - 1 | 54 - 171 |
| R5 | 1 - 0 | 9 - 9 | 14 - 16 | 10 - 14 | 2 - 4 | 4 - 5 | 3 - 0 | 0 - 0 | 1 - 79 |
| Total | 1 - 0 | 55 - 83 | 75 - 135 | 64 - 189 | 20 - 61 | 22 - 17 | 13 - 5 | 1 - 5 | 176 - 636 |
Takedown attempts: Edwards 5, Usman 12. Source: the official UFC statistics (ufcstats mirror).
Over 24 minutes and 4 seconds Usman out-landed Edwards 83 to 55 in significant strikes and 189 to 64 in total strikes, scored five takedowns to one and had 10:36 of control to 2:56. In rounds 2 to 4 alone it was 68 to 33 in significant strikes and 7:56 of control to 54 seconds. The judges and the numbers agree.
Edwards was the more accurate striker, 73% to 61%, and out-landed Usman to the body, 22 to 17, and the legs, 13 to 5. Usman's lead was at the head, 61 to 20, and in the clinch and on the ground, 37 to 13. What the numbers cannot show is weight: the kick that ended the fight counts as one significant strike, the same as a jab.
How we scored it
| Round | MMA.SOCIAL | Why |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | 10-9 Edwards | The trip into mount, the back take and the choke attempt, all 13 of his significant strikes landed and 2:01 of control. |
| R2 | 10-9 Usman | The heavier punches, 36 to 20 in significant strikes, and the late takedown. |
| R3 | 10-9 Usman | Two takedowns and 3:23 of control; Edwards landed 7 significant strikes and spent most of the round under Usman. |
| R4 | 10-9 Usman | The takedown, 2:51 of control and 22 to 6 in significant strikes, with the round ending on Usman's punches. |
| R5 | Edwards by KO | Level at 9 to 9 in significant strikes when the left high kick landed at 4:04. |
| After 4 | 39-37 Usman | The same as all three judges. Edwards won by knockout. |
Our card matches all three judges'. Edwards himself called it one of his worst performances, as CBS Sports and Bleacher Report report, and AP has him saying it was not his best. "It wasn't a cardio issue," he said, in words CBS Sports and Bleacher Report both print; his body, he said, stopped reacting after the first round.
The judges were not wrong, so the real question is whether the kick was luck. We do not think so. Every account we read describes a feint first, and Edwards had been kicking Usman's legs and body all night. Setting up one clean strike while losing on every card, and landing it in the last minute, is patience, not luck. What the kick did not prove is that Edwards was the better fighter over those five rounds. The numbers say Usman was.
What happened next
In the cage Edwards told the doubters to "look at me now", words Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, GMA News and 3News all print, and summed up the kick: "Headshot. Dead.", as CBS Sports and GMA News both quote him. He was the second British champion in UFC history, as Cageside Press, The Independent and 3News note, after Michael Bisping, whom 3News and Yahoo Sports' live coverage name. In MMA.SOCIAL's own rating the knockout was worth 72 points to Edwards and cost Usman 87, the biggest drop of Usman's career.
The trilogy came next, at UFC 286 on March 18, 2023. Edwards won a majority decision, 48-46, 48-46, 47-47, as theScore and the official record show, despite a third-round point deduction for grabbing the fence that theScore and Sherdog both report. He out-landed Usman 120 to 87 in significant strikes and stopped 11 of 15 takedown attempts, as theScore and the official statistics record.
Edwards then beat Colby Covington by decision at UFC 296 on December 16, 2023, and lost the title to Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 on July 27, 2024, by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46), which ended his 13-fight unbeaten run, as theScore and the official record show. He has lost twice since, the official record shows: to Sean Brady by guillotine in round 4 on March 22, 2025, and to Carlos Prates by knockout in round 2 at UFC 322 on November 15, 2025.
Usman moved up to middleweight to replace the injured Paulo Costa against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, as theScore and Bleacher Report reported, and lost a majority decision on October 21, 2023. He beat Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision at welterweight on June 14, 2025, his first win since 2021, as POST Wrestling reports, then lost a unanimous decision to Dricus Du Plessis at middleweight on July 18, 2026, his fourth loss in five fights, as Business Day and Briefly News report. All three results are in the official record, which has no fourth fight with Edwards.
The verdict
Edwards vs. Usman 2 is not a disputed result. The judges had Usman ahead 39-37 on every card, and the official numbers back them. Edwards won anyway, with a feint and a left high kick that ended a 19-fight winning streak with 56 seconds left. The cards were right about who was winning, and the kick made them irrelevant.
Full fight stats: Usman vs. Edwards 2. The rest of the night: UFC 278. More: the most title fights in UFC history.
Sources
- UFCStats round-by-round statistics (scrape_ufc_stats mirror)
- UFCStats fight results, method and referee (scrape_ufc_stats mirror)
- UFC Calendar - Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards, UFC 278: judges' cards by round
- Sherdog - UFC 278 play-by-play, results and round scoring
- Cageside Press - Leon Edwards topples Kamaru Usman with fifth-round head kick
- POST Wrestling - UFC 278 report
- AP (John Coon) via KATV - Edwards stops Usman late in 5th, wins UFC welterweight title
- Yahoo Sports (Kevin Iole) - Edwards stuns Usman with late head-kick KO
- Yahoo Sports - UFC 278 live results
- Yahoo Sports - Joe Rogan on Edwards' knockout of Usman
- The Independent (Alex Pattle) via Yahoo Sports - Edwards knocks Usman out cold with head kick
- CBS Sports - UFC 278 results: Edwards stuns Usman with last-minute knockout
- CBS Sports - UFC 278 predictions, fight card and odds
- Fox News - Edwards knocks out champion Usman with kick to the head
- GMA News - Leon Edwards upsets Usman with last-minute KO at UFC 278
- 3News - Edwards shocks Usman to win UFC welterweight title
- Bleacher Report - Edwards: KO win over Usman was one of my worst performances
- UFC.com (E. Spencer Kyte) - The Scorecard: UFC 278
- Covers - UFC 278 Usman vs. Edwards picks and odds
- FanSided MMA - UFC 278 betting odds
- theScore - Usman def. Edwards on the UFC on Fox 17 prelims
- BJPenn.com - UFC on Fox 17 results: Usman defeats Edwards via decision
- theScore - Edwards beats Usman by majority decision to retain the title
- Sherdog - UFC 286 play-by-play, results and round scoring
- theScore - Muhammad beats Edwards to win UFC welterweight title
- theScore - Usman replaces Costa, will fight Chimaev at UFC 294
- Bleacher Report - Usman vs. Chimaev set for UFC 294 after Costa's surgery
- POST Wrestling - Usman earns first victory since 2021, decisions Buckley
- Business Day (Field Level Media) - Du Plessis returns with dominant decision over Usman
- Briefly News - Du Plessis beats Usman by unanimous decision
Questions
Who won Edwards vs. Usman 2?
Leon Edwards, by knockout with a left head kick at 4:04 of the fifth round at UFC 278 on August 20, 2022. He won the UFC welterweight title and ended Kamaru Usman's 15-fight UFC winning streak.
Was Usman winning before the head kick?
Yes. All three judges, Chris Lee, Sal D'Amato and Derek Cleary, had Usman ahead 39-37 after four rounds, giving Edwards the first round and Usman the second, third and fourth. Through four rounds Usman led 74 to 46 in significant strikes and 9:17 to 2:55 in control time.
What time did Edwards knock out Usman?
At 4:04 of the fifth and final round, with 56 seconds left in the fight. It is the fourth-latest finish in a UFC title fight, six seconds earlier than Usman's own stoppage of Colby Covington in December 2019.
How did Leon Edwards knock out Kamaru Usman?
With a left high kick to the head, set up with a feint. Usman was unconscious as he fell, and Edwards did not need to follow up before referee Herb Dean stopped the fight.
Did Edwards beat Usman in the trilogy?
Yes. At UFC 286 on March 18, 2023, Edwards won a majority decision, 48-46, 48-46, 47-47, despite losing a point for grabbing the fence. Usman had won their first fight by unanimous decision in December 2015.
Who did Leon Edwards lose the title to?
Belal Muhammad, by unanimous decision at UFC 304 on July 27, 2024. Edwards had defended the title twice, against Usman and Colby Covington.
