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Leon Edwards admits that doubt began to creep in at UFC 278 in opposition to Kamaru Usman, however added his coaches helped maintain him within the combat to attain his comeback knockout.
This previous Saturday, Edwards won the welterweight championship with a shocking fifth-round knockout of Usman in the primary occasion of UFC 278. Behind on the scorecards with lower than one minute left within the combat, Edwards unleashed a left head kick that put Usman out chilly. However for pretty much as good because the comeback was, “Rocky” believes the elevation in Salt Lake Metropolis might have prevented a good higher efficiency.
“At the back of my thoughts I assumed, ‘Why is everybody getting drained?’ I used to be watching it pondering I gained’t get drained as a result of I’ve been right here for 2 weeks, I slept in altitude at house – I most likely gained’t really feel it,” Edwards stated on The MMA Hour when requested how he felt warming up beforehand. “So I used to be watching it backstage, and I used to be pondering behind my head as I used to be warming up, ‘S***, why is everybody getting drained?’ Once we went on the market, after the primary spherical, I can’t clarify it, my physique simply shut down. It was only a bizarre feeling. It wasn’t cardio, it was like my physique simply wasn’t reacting. In my head I may suppose what I wished to do, however my physique simply wasn’t doing it. …
“My 10 fights I needed to get so far to combat for the championship, I by no means appeared like that in a combat, ever. Even after I was combating, I used to be trying forward like, ‘Man, what the hell is happening? Simply maintain pushing. I do know he’s artful and the physique is feeling it, however simply maintain working and keep targeted. It’s by no means over till it’s over.’ I stayed in there and received the clear head kick KO. …
“If my physique was reacting the way in which it was within the first spherical, the combat would have gone a completely completely different means. The primary spherical I felt regular. Then after that, my physique simply sort of shut down on me. If I might have felt the way in which I did within the first spherical, it will have been a completely completely different combat.”
Edwards was removed from the one one who felt the results of the elevation at UFC 278. Most of the fighters competing on the occasion appeared visibly exhausted early of their fights, most notably within the middleweight co-main occasion bout between Paulo Costa and Luke Rockhold through which Rockhold put his arms on his knees repeatedly through the combat. Whereas Edwards’ points didn’t manifest themselves that clearly, the commentary staff did opine through the combat that “Rocky” appeared mentally defeated earlier than authoring the comeback. Even Edwards admits he was beginning to suppose this is likely to be simply the newest in a profession stuffed with setbacks.
“I used to be getting nervous, for positive – 100%,” Edwards stated. “The second was so huge for me, and it’s simply my luck for that to occur. I assumed, ‘Man, there’s no means this may occur, that it will probably play out like this.’ I stated all of it week, I really feel like that is my second. God introduced me so far to make this occur. That’s what stored enjoying in my head, there’s no means God introduced me right here for this simply to go to determination and end like this. I needed to simply keep targeted and take heed to my staff. Nice motivation. They knew learn how to press my buttons, they usually stored me in there and received the end.”
The cornering from Edwards’ coaches has already change into legendary, spurring their fighter toward his incredible comeback, telling Edwards to “cease feeling f****** sorry for himself” and “pull this s*** out of the hearth.” And that turned out to be simply what Edwards wanted in that second.
“It’s been like that earlier than however not that intense,” Edwards stated. “It’s been like that earlier than in coaching and different stuff. … I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself. I used to be feeling — it’s exhausting to elucidate it. I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself, I used to be pondering, ‘There’s no means that is enjoying out like this.’ I believe he may inform by my face, based mostly on what he stated. ‘Cease feeling sorry for your self. Hold attempting, mate. You greater than need to be right here. You possibly can beat this man. You are able to do it, so simply go on the market and do it.’ In order that’s what I did. …
“That’s one among my worst performances ever in my profession. To have my worst efficiency within the largest second of my life, it’s exhausting to elucidate how you’re feeling mentally. It’s like what the f***. Come on. How is that this enjoying out like this. It was tough to undergo, however it’s what it’s. That was Usman’s greatest efficiency, that was my worst efficiency, and he nonetheless couldn’t end me. I completed him on my worst day.”
Nevertheless it occurred, Edwards is now the undisputed welterweight champion, and for somebody who confronted a lot adversity and so many setbacks earlier than attaining his dream, “Rocky” says it’s nonetheless setting in for him.
“Everybody retains asking me, ‘How does it really feel?’ however it’s exhausting to place into phrases,” Rocky stated. “I believe that’s why in my post-fight interview I used to be simply crying, as a result of it’s exhausting to — not simply the second of successful the UFC world championship, however attending to that time or attaining my dream, going via all of the ups and downs all through life and all through my profession. It’s nonetheless tough to place into phrases. It nonetheless feels so surreal. It doesn’t really feel actual generally. …
“While you watch films and also you see individuals cry from happiness, I’ve by no means cried from happiness earlier than in my life. So after I’m crying from happiness, that’s when it was actual. It was such a surreal second, and one which I’ll treasure ceaselessly. To suppose I didn’t know the place Utah was, and now it’s caught in my life ceaselessly. It’s a tremendous story.”
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