"You can't just go and throw a head kick" - Leon Edwards' striking coach explains the strategy behind the 'headshot' kick that KO'd Kamaru Usman at UFC 278

Kamaru Usman getting finished by Leon Edwards at UFC 278 was quite calculated and the new champ's striking coach described the machinations of the finish.

Speaking with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, Leon Edwards' striking coach Henry Cleminson was asked about generating one of the most amazing come-from-behind wins in mixed martial arts history over the number one pound-for-pound ranked fighter at the time, Kamaru Usman.

Giving a certain level of insight into the blueprint for this stunning 170 pound title win over Usman, Cleminson said:

"To be honest, It wasn't a technique that I think was there early out the doors. Because without going into huge details about what we're doing but there's a lot of strategy and we drilled a lot of things with that. You can't just go and throw a head kick especially out the doors. He's probably going to be fresh, the reactions are high."

Cleminson continued:

"So it was a technique that I thought was going to land later on with some of the work that he had done throughout the fight. Perhaps might have seen him throw caution to the wind a bit earlier on than he did. It certainly was something we were strategizing to sort of set up if you like."

Watch the interview/ video below at the 3:01 mark

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Kamaru Usman and dominant champions being stopped

Joanna Jędrzejczyk had notched five straight strawweight title defenses and many thought she was infallible in the UFC's 115 pound class at one point. This notion came crashing down when Rose Namajunas finished her with strikes in the opening frame of the UFC 217 contest in November 2017.

Stipe Miocic nothed a record three defenses of the UFC world heavyweight title before Daniel Cormier was knocked out in the first round of his attempted fourth defense. He was emphatically finished by way of knockout at UFC 226 against ten-UFC light heavyweight world champion Daniel Cormier in July 2018.

Anderson Silva put together an incredible run of ten successful defenses of his UFC middleweight world title before getting KOed in the second round of his eleventh defense attempt. He was eventually knocked out by Chris Weidman in a shocking series of events at UFC 162 in July 2013.

Matt Hughes' first reign as UFC welterweight world champion came to an end after a dominant five consecutive title defense ala Kamaru Usman. Hughes was finished by BJ Penn via rear naked choke at UFC 46 in his divisional debut in January 2004.