"Everybody on the card was getting tired" - Leon Edwards labels title-winning fight "one of his worst performances", blames Salt Lake City altitude for gassing out

UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards has blamed the high altitude of Salt Lake City for gassing out in his fight against Kamaru Usman. UFC 278 was hosted by Salt Lake City, which is at an altitude of 4,226 feet, higher than most major cities in the United States.

Several fighters on the card, including the likes of Luke Rockhold and Paulo Costa in the co-main event, struggled to manage their gas tank.

Leon Edwards' path to victory at UFC 278 wasn't a cakewalk by any means. Usman overturned the deficit of the first round to with a dominant display of wrestling control in the later rounds. A visibly exhausted Edwards was radically fading away, but his team encouraged him to dig deep in the fifth round. The British fighter set up a crafty high kick that stifled his opponent and knocked him out clean.

Speaking to Megan Olivi for ESPN MMA, Edwards said that his body wasn't reacting like it usually does, and he observed a lot of fighters get gassed out during their fights:

''I don't know. I can't explain. My body for some reason wasn't reacting. I was watching the fights backstage, and Luke and everyone was gassing out. I don't know whether it was altitude or what it was, but for some reason everyone on the card was getting tired.''

While the MMA community has been raving about his performance, 'Rocky' has been severely critical, calling it one of his worst performances:

''That was one of my worst performances. But I still ended up finishing the pound-for-pound best.''

Watch Leon Edwards' post-fight interview with ESPN MMA below :

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Conor McGregor lauds Leon Edwards on becoming the second UFC champion from the United Kingdom

Conor McGregor was thrilled for his fellow Paradigm Sports fighter Leon Edwards for his spectacular victory at UFC 278.

While it looked like the fight was slipping away from 'Rocky', his team pushed him to dig deep. 'Rocky' set up the finish. Edwards, who is managed by the same team as McGregor (Paradigm Sports), was showered with praise by the Irishman for his magnificent achievement:

''An amazing scene to witness! Huge congrats Leon! A real good, solid and dedicated mixed martial artist! The uk’s second only ufc champion! Incredible! Congrats mate!@ParadigmSports''

Leon Edwards became the second fighter from the United Kingdom to become a UFC champion. Until now, Michael Bisping was the only Brit to hold that distinguished honor.