Scorecard pic: Leon Edwards outlasts Kamaru Usman despite fence-grab point deduction | UFC 286

Leon Edwards outlasted Kamaru Usman earlier tonight (Sat., Mar. 18, 2023) at UFC 286 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside The O2 in London, England, to win their trilogy fight and retain his undisputed UFC welterweight championship of the world.

Edwards landed the more meaningful shots early with hard kicks to the legs and body. Usman eventually went to his wrestling and tried to score a takedown, but Edwards defended by grabbing the inside of the glove. Referee Herb Dean warned “Rocky.” Edwards kept things going with a brutal knee inside that hurt Usman in the second, but Usman found a home for a right hand and then an eventual takedown.

The third round saw Usman go back to his wrestling and gain top control early in the frame. Edwards worked back to his feet but then grabbed the fence when Usman attempted another takedown. He was deducted one point. Later in the frame Edwards hit Usman with his second groin shot, which in turn was the fourth foul “Rocky” committed in the fight.

Edwards slowed down in the fourth round which allowed Usman to dictate the pace and go back to his wrestling. “Rocky” recovered, though, and showcased better takedown defense over the final minutes of the frame. Edwards nearly scored another head kick knockout early into the fifth round, but Usman defended it this time and pinned the UFC champion against the cage. Edwards broke free and started to land hard uppercuts and knees. Usman retaliated with another takedown, but he couldn’t hold “Rocky” down.

In the end, it was Edwards who did enough on the scorecards to win the majority decision, even with the one-point deduction. Check out the official scorecard and some fight highlights below courtesy of UFC/ESPN:

For complete UFC 286 results and coverage click here.