As far as post-fight interviews go, Leon Edwards may take the pick of the bunch with a chilling outro to his sensational late knockout victory over then-champion Kamaru Usman. Edwards, being interviewed by UFC commentator Joe Rogan moments after claiming the welterweight throne, illustrated his championship pedigree with a chilling line that will be etched into the illustrious list of the sport’s most iconic moments. Continuing his post-fight speech, an overjoyed Edwards told Rogan: “I said all week I felt like this is my moment. Everything that happened in the past. The last two years, the pandemic. There is no ring rust. I told you, look at me now.” There was barely a minute left of the UFC welterweight world title fight. Usman, one of the most dominant and devastating champions in the history of MMA, was closing in one yet another routine victory over a top competitor, one he had confidently beaten years before. For Leon Edwards, the current crème de la crème for Britain’s martial art scene, defeat was looming, and his best efforts were ostensibly futile. His chance to clinch UFC gold was dwindling with the passing of each precious second.At 4:04 of the fifth and final round, Edwards reached the pinnacle with a sensational, seismic head kick that sent Usman crashing to the canvas and released an incredulous collective roar from a sea of fight fans inside the Vivint Arena.

The move itself was executed to perfection, a deft right jab arrowed toward the champion and alerted him to a potential flurry, but the resulting left head kick evaded Usman’s near-imperious defences and shut him down like a lightbulb in a power cut.

Usman, to his credit, has been magnanimous in defeat with earnest promises to return with a vengeance and reclaim his throne – and do any honestly doubt that he will challenge for the belt again?

Edwards initially turned heads with an impressive showing in the first round, winning over the judges on the scorecards and appearing to be comfortable pitted against one of the Octagon’s most formidable competitors ever.

However, as many expected, Usman began to exert his authority and combine his impeccable wrestling and knife-sharp boxing skills to dictate the pace and claim rounds two through to four.

His engine had discernibly calmed as the bout reached its conclusion, but with the impending decision merely a formality, Usman was well within his right to take the necessary caution and steer toward his sixth successive defence of his world title.

Ultimately, Edwards’ victory will continue to send shockwaves throughout the MMA community for some time to come, with his unlikely title triumph a reminder that the sport boasts one of the most unpredictable and fascinating edges out there.

“Rocky” will revel in his underdog victory for some time; battling through adversity and a shark tank of competitors, his killer instinct prevailed, and he emerged at the fore of, arguably, the UFC’s most thrilling and competitive division.