Leon Edwards knocked out Usman with a last-gasp head kick at UFC 278, but the Brit was said to have deliberately cheated by grabbing the fence several times in the fight.
Leon Edwards produced one of the biggest comebacks in UFC history when he knocked out Kamara Usman earlier this month, but the Brit has been accused of deliberately cheating in his title fight.
Edwards, 31, was losing most of his fight at UFC 278 before landing a final head kick to knock out Usman with less than a minute remaining. ‘Rocky’ became the first Jamaican-born and second British champion in UFC history with the win, but has now been accused of cheating by grabbing the fence several times before executing a Hail Mary kick.
Chael Sonnen, an MMA analyst, commented on the match. “Leon cheated a lot in that fight. That’s not a headline or a topic that’s out there. I don’t want to be the one to bring it to you. I don’t give Leon the hard work to tell the tale honestly, nobody wants to touch that,” the speaker said.
Leon Edwards cheating allegation
Leon Edwards cheated repeatedly, not once, not accidentally. And the referee missed it because he was annoyed in his positions and unable to move out of them. Five or six times the referee broke the rules, yet Kamara Leon never called a cheater. Leon switched places with her and three times cheated on him.
Edwards was never given a point by referee Herb Dean during the fight for his fence grabs. It wasn’t just Edwards who grabbed the fence in the fight either. Usman was also warned by Dean to stop sticking his fingers into the cage. Sonnen questioned whether Edwards’ fence grabs allowed him to stay on his feet and potentially prevent Usman from finishing him on the ground before the fight went into the final round.
You’re in the fifth round, which you may not have ever been in, said Sonnen. “Usman kicked a fight that he was trying to finish and was winning. The opposition cheated three times while you were in the right position to score. This battle taught Leon a lot. Leon will feel more assured when he returns to his preparations for Kamaru. What other word do you want to use—cheated is a strong word, after all?”
