UFC 278 Results: Usman vs. Edwards 2

UFC 278 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 20, 2022, ended with one of the UFC’s most dramatic championship reversals. Leon Edwards knocked Kamaru Usman out with a head kick in the final minute to win the welterweight title, while Paulo Costa and Merab Dvalishvili earned decisions on the supporting card.

Edwards changes everything with one kick

Edwards began well, taking Usman down and threatening from back control in the first round. Usman then used pressure and wrestling to take command of much of the middle portion of the fight, leaving Edwards needing a decisive response late.

At 4:04 of the fifth round, Edwards landed a left head kick that knocked Usman out. The finish delivered the welterweight championship and avenged Edwards’ 2015 decision loss, transforming a fight that had appeared to be moving toward another Usman victory.

Costa and Rockhold push through exhaustion

Costa defeated Luke Rockhold by unanimous decision in a demanding middleweight contest. Both men had striking success, and Rockhold’s willingness to keep attacking despite visible fatigue made the co-main event unusually compelling.

Dvalishvili beat José Aldo by unanimous decision through sustained pressure and clinch work. Lucie Pudilová stopped Wu Yanan with second-round elbows, and Tyson Pedro finished Harry Hunsucker in just over a minute.

A heavyweight turnaround and an unusual draw

Marcin Tybura weathered Alexander Romanov’s strong opening round and recovered to win a majority decision. Jared Gordon outpointed Leonardo Santos, while Sean Woodson and Luis Saldaña finished with a split draw.

Saldaña’s point deduction for an illegal knee helped shape that draw, so the result was more complicated than simply two evenly matched performances. Ange Loosa, Amir Albazi, Aoriqileng and Victor Altamirano also won on the earlier portion of the card.

Complete UFC 278 results

• Leon Edwards def. Kamaru Usman — KO (head kick), R5, 4:04.
• Paulo Costa def. Luke Rockhold — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Merab Dvalishvili def. José Aldo — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Lucie Pudilová def. Wu Yanan — TKO (elbows), R2, 4:04.
• Tyson Pedro def. Harry Hunsucker — TKO (body kick and punches), R1, 1:05.
• Marcin Tybura def. Alexander Romanov — majority decision, R3, 5:00.
• Jared Gordon def. Leonardo Santos — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Sean Woodson vs. Luis Saldaña — split draw, R3, 5:00.
• Ange Loosa def. AJ Fletcher — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Amir Albazi def. Francisco Figueiredo — submission (rear-naked choke), R1, 4:34.
• Aoriqileng def. Jay Perrin — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Victor Altamirano def. Daniel Lacerda — TKO (strikes), R1, 3:39.

Sources

UFC 278 official results; Sherdog: complete UFC 278 fight record.

Article Tags

UFC, UFC 278, Mixed Martial Arts