Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman argue over head-kick knockout in rematch before trilogy at UFC 286

Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman aren’t known for talking a lot of nonsense, but they definitely got a little heated talking about how their first two fights ended.

Ahead of the trilogy that will headline UFC 286, Edwards was asked about the height in Utah for their rematch and how much it affected him before he took the win via fifth-round knockout. He acknowledged that it certainly played a role, but did not expect such a struggle at home in London on Saturday.

It was then that Usman stepped in to ask Edwards about their first meeting in 2015, when he pretty much dominated the fight before taking a unanimous decision win.

“What’s the excuse for the first fight?” Usman said directly to Edwards.

“What excuse do you have for that fucking head kick you got?” Edwards fired back.

The exchange enlivened the London crowd, but Usman quickly reacted by reminding Edwards of what had happened prior to his stunning head kick knockout that ended the fight with less than one minute remaining in the fight.

Usman also made head coach Edwards’ best impression after replays showed him passionately cheering the Briton at welterweight in between rounds, trying to get him on fire. Usman was three rounds behind at this point in the fight, which meant that Edwards needed to finish off to win… and that’s exactly what he did.

“I dropped my hands. There is no excuse,” Usman said of the kick to the head. “Beautiful technique, my hand went down and you hit.

“What excuse did you have for three rounds before you got your head crushed? Your trainer should have begged you! “Come on Rock! You’re being bullied, son! You let him intimidate you in the first fight and you let him intimidate you again! Don’t let him bully you, son! Get your head out of your ass, Rock, he’s bullying you, son!”

Usman kept repeating himself, yelling, “Don’t let him bully you, son!” as Edwards only smiled and replied back.

“He’s got a concussion,” Edwards said. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

The hot trade has definitely raised the stakes as Edwards tries to prove his late knockout in the rematch was no fluke, while Usman tries to regain the UFC welterweight title after dominating their first two fights apart from a header that ended his championship.