Francis Ngannou Explains Why Kamaru Usman Failed To Prepare For The Leon Edwards Trilogy At UFC 286
Francis Ngannou, a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, recently provided some insight into Kamaru Usman’s pre-UFC 286 preparation problems.
Usman’s lengthy reign as the UFC Welterweight Champion was ended by Leon Edwards at UFC 278 the previous year. Late in the fifth round, “Rocky” brutally head-kicked “The Nigerian Nightmare” to end the fight.
Usman finally had his chance for retribution over the past weekend in their tripartite match. However, following five rounds of combative action, Edwards was deemed the victor by an overwhelming vote.
The five rounds of the welterweight fight saw a very close matchup between the two fighters, with neither one really getting a clear edge. Edwards chopped with a lot of kicks, and Usman pressed doggedly while working behind his hands. They competed ferociously right up until the final horn, leaving the result in the officials’ hands.
An important turning point in a fiercely competitive, extremely close contest between two competitors with a lot of history between them loomed in the third round when Edwards was penalised for grabbing the fence to thwart a takedown attempt.
When the scores were added up, Edwards came out on top by a significant margin, retaining his championship in a matchup that was an absolute classic versus an all-time great and that brought out the best in him at the height of his career.
It’s unclear what will happen to Usman now that UFC President Dana White has stated that a championship fight between Edwards and Colby Covington is what he wants to see next.
Francis Ngannou says that he knows Kamaru Usman Didn’t train.
On his YouTube channel, Francis Ngannou recently posted his thoughts on the UFC 286 main event. Usman and “The Predator” are close pals, which explains why the former welterweight champion had a relatively quiet training camp before the Edwards trilogy fight.
“Usually when people get knocked out, they don’t come back in the fight. Like, they will be wobbly, he [Usman] was there before tonight which is like a lot of step back. I know that he didn’t train, he didn’t have to train properly because of a lot of injuries, but he was there.”
Despite having an extended winning streak in the UFC, “The Nigerian Nightmare” has struggled with serious leg problems for years. There have been many rumours that Usman suffers from excruciating pain before fight evenings as a result of his body’s wear and tear.
Usman was cruising to a decision triumph at UFC 278 after winning rounds two, three, and four handily. Some people discounted the head strike as a fluke from which Usman would recover this year.
But Usman was significantly slower than normal in UFC 286. Ngannou’s remarks regarding “The Nigerian Nightmare’s” training difficulties suggest that Usman’s physical problems may be catching up to him.
Leon Edwards rejects the idea of a fourth matchup with Kamaru Usman and declares, “I want to move forward in my career.”
With Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards has the series edge, and he anticipates that UFC 286 will mark the conclusion of their trilogy.
The British fighter, who had previously beaten Usman at UFC 278 in August by way of a fifth-round head kick knockout, successfully retained the UFC welterweight championship on Saturday at London’s The O2. In their third gathering, the judges decided in Edwards’ favour by a margin of two to one.
Edwards claims that he and Usman have no animosity toward one another despite having spent nearly an hour in the cage together.
At the evening’s post-fight news conference, Edwards said, ““Just competitive. I wish him well in whatever he chooses to do next. There was never any beef between me and Kamaru. I feel we both just felt we were the better man and that was it. You heard his words after the fight and I feel the same way. I wish him well. The sport is hard, so respect him.”
When asked about fighting Usman again, Edwards says, “Probably not. It’s been three fights now and I want to move forward in my career. I’ll look towards more different fights.”
