Nigeria’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight title holder, Kamaru Usman, Saturday night, failed to retain his belt against British fighter, Leon Edwards at the UFC 278.
Kamoru suffered a fifth-round head-kick knockout in the fight as he failed in his defence of the belt.
The win for Edwards at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, United State, was one of the greatest comebacks in mixed martial arts history.
This is also as another Nigerian-born boxing hero, Anthony Joshua failed in his attempt to reclaim his lost world boxing titles against Ukrainian, Oleksandr Usyk.
In the Kamoru fight, the 30-year-old Jamaican-born British fighter looked to be headed for a defeat on the judges’ scorecards.
But then faked a jab with his left hand and then landed a left-foot kick to the head that sparked the 35-year-old Nigerian to claim the belt.
“They all doubted me, they all said I couldn’t do it – look at me now!” Edwards roared in his post-fight interview in the cage.
Edwards is only the second British fighter to hold a UFC title, following in the footsteps of Michael Bisping, who won the middleweight title in 2016.
On a streak of 15 wins in the UFC coming into the bout, Usman struggled in the first round.
Edwards, whom he beat in their only previous meeting in 2015, shocked him by taking him down to the mat for the first time in his UFC career.
Edwards threatened to finish the fight with a rear naked choke but Usman, who was making his sixth title defence, survived.
He came roaring back in the second round as Edwards appeared to stumble early on.
The 35-year-old Usman then returned to the kind of suffocating wrestling that has been the bedrock of his fighting style since he turned pro in 2012.
He backed his opponent up to the fence and took him down at will.
He dominated Edwards and looked like he would retain the belt again until the challenger starched him with that kick with just 56 seconds left in the fight.
“I’m from the trenches, I’m built like this, I battle until the battle is done. I’ve been down my whole life, and look at me now!” an elated Edwards said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Usyk defeated Nigerian-born Briton Anthony Joshua on Saturday with a split points decision to retain his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO world heavyweight boxing belts in Jeddah.
The boxing bout staged in Saudi Arabia was a rematch of the one in London in September, which Usyk won after a unanimous decision to take the belts from Joshua.
But Saturday’s 12 rounds were fought with much more intensity and emotion.
The pressure was on both more than ever, with Usyk this time representing a country fighting for its existence after a Russian invasion while Joshua was battling for his boxing future.
Usyk appeared comfortably ahead as the final bell rang at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena to end the fight billed as “Rage on the Red Sea.”
But the American judge awarded the fight 115-113 to Joshua, while the British and Ukrainian judges decided it was 115-113 and 116-112 to Usyk.
The victory took the 35-year-old’s professional record to 20 fights undefeated while Joshua, 32, suffered the third defeat of his career.
Joshua, who had held aloft the Ukrainian flag with Usyk as they waited for the decision in what seemed an acceptance of defeat, then had an uncharacteristic meltdown.
He took two of the belts, dropping them as he left the ring and headed for the dressing room before turning around and stepping back between the ropes.
The boxer then took the microphone and addressed the crowd: “Usyk is one hell of a fighter. That’s just emotion.
“For this guy to beat me tonight, maybe I could have done better, but it shows the levels of hard work he must have put in. So, please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world.
“I was studying Ukraine and all the champions from your amazing country. I’ve never been there. What’s happening there, I don’t know. But it’s not nice … under those circumstances he’s managed to become champion.”
The opening round was tentative, with Joshua’s corner calling for him to adjust his rhythm.
The bout continued with Usyk constantly moving and using his jab and body shots to good effect.
Round nine raised the tempo dramatically, with Joshua enjoying his best round before Usyk came back hard in the 10th.
Needing a knockout and running out of time, the taller and heavier Joshua was unable to land the telling blows against an agile and elusive opponent who hit back hard.
At the final bell the two embraced, with the Ukrainian sinking to his knees.