“One miss turns off the lights”- Herb Dean talks about Leon Edwards’ EXCEPTIONAL KO of Kamaru Usman
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Herb Dean praises Kamaru Usman despite losing belt to Leon Edwards at UFC 278
Leon Edwards had observed Kamaru Usman feinting to the right whenever he would land a body shot. Leon’s wiry frame had helped him stay in the fight longer than he should have – his long kicks to the body would destabilize Usman’s striking exchanges or takedown attempts, only to be pressured back into Kamaru’s game again moments later. The kicks, however, would give him enough time to recover some of his energy and reset to defend against the ever-pressuring Nigerian.
But, through keen observation, and prior analysis by his team (Team Renegade), Edwards was able to set up the perfect headshot that would eventually shut the lights off of ever so-dominant Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. The kick landed like a bolt of lightning, and before he knew it, Usman’s night was over. What makes Rocky’s story so special is his string of bad luck leading up to the fight – UFC President Dana White himself detailed how Edwards had signed to fight then-unranked Khamzat Chimaev 2-3 times, only for the fight to be canceled each time.
Hence, when the blow landed, and consequently, Edwards heard Bruce Buffer and the whole Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City cry out “AND NEW!!!”, he must have finally felt that his grit and patience had paid off.
On the other side of the tape, Usman has cut a classy figure this week, as he readily praised Leon’s incredible moment of glory and resultant passion. That is not to say that Usman is ready to let his pace slow – the ex-champion that we have all come to admire staked his claim to avenge his stunning loss at Wembley, in 2023.
Many professionals, including Aljamain Sterling, Henry Cejudo and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson have shared their in-depth analysis of the head-kick. However, the closest look was probably had by referee Herb Dean, who shared his thoughts in an interview with Helen Yee.
Related- “I see you soon boi” – Kamaru Usman channels inner Yoel Romero with latest call out of Leon Edwards for trilogy fight
“Usman’s performance was on another level” – Herb Dean praises Kamaru Usman despite losing his title
Referee Herb Dean, arguably the most popular referee in the UFC, officiated the title bout between Usman and Edwards at UFC 278, in Salt Lake City. He watched over the fighters for 24 minutes, before Edwards’ head-kick slammed into Usman, ending the fight a minute early.
Seeing the fighters closer than anyone else, Herb Dean showered admiration over Usman, saying that “Usman’s performance was on another level… He showed a smoothness I hadn’t seen before.” Additionally, commenting on the exhilarating atmosphere within the arena, he said that “People were on fire! They were not shocked by Leon getting the win..but by the spectacular fashion in which it happened.”
However, Dean also made it a point to show his respect for the champion, chiming in “It was a great combination…classic! People were talking about it all night!”
Moving on from the fight, Herb Dean was asked about the insane co-main event as well – which he said was “Crazy, two people not giving each other an inch!” Dean refereed Luke Rockhold’s title fight against Chris Weidman, about which he reminisced and added that “Luke Rockhold is a standout guy, he was an amazing champion, to retire like that!“
Seems like Herb Dean is as much of a fan as us, enjoying each moment and describing it with the utmost veracity. It is always a pleasure to have someone so close to the fight lay it out for us fans first-hand!
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