"After seeing him this past week I realized how unbreakable he really is" - Ali Abdelaziz hypes up Kamaru Usman following devastating defeat to Leon Edwards 

Kamaru Usman's manager Ali Abdelaziz is confident that 'The Nigerian Nightmare' will return to winning ways despite his shocking loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 278.

In a new tweet posted by Abdelaziz, he praised Usman for his resilience while also stating that the duo have been through a lot together since forging a strong partnership in 2016. The tweet read:

"Kamaru and I have been friends for the past 6 years. We’ve been through so much together. After seeing him this past week I realized how unbreakable he really is. #nigeriannightmare africa #allahcontrol everything @USMAN84kg"

Usman was gracious in defeat after his first ever loss in the UFC. The former champion took to Twitter to congratulate his opponent but added that he is eager to get an immediate title rematch to reclaim the welterweight belt as early as 2023.

The 35-year-old looked in command during the fight against Edwards and with just a few minutes left on the clock, a lapse in concentration resulted in a vicious head-kick KO. Usman was on his way to tying Anderson Silva's record of 16 consecutive wins in the UFC but was unable to secure the record.

Abdelaziz had earlier predicted that Usman would go undefeated in the UFC, but after the loss, he believes that the Nigerian will bounce back stronger in his next fight. Usman also underwent hand surgery after his championship rematch against Colby Covington at UFC 268 last November and had postponed the fight with Edwards.

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Leon Edwards' coach questions Kamaru Usman's chances of hitting back after UFC 278 loss

Leon Edwards' coach Dave Lovell opened up about the Brit's spectacular victory last Saturday. With Edwards seemingly out of the fight, the stunning head-kick came towards the end of the final round. Now, Lovell believes the loss will make it hard for Kamaru Usman to recover from.

Speaking with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, Lovell questioned if the Nigerian would be the same after the fight. He said:

"When a man gets knocked out cold in that fashion, let me tell you, not only can it change his fighting and potentially his life - and especially Kamaru's got that bully come forward style aggression. When a bully gets tamed and gets knocked out in that fashion, physically, he can get his body back, ready to come back, but can he mentally?

Watch Dave Lovell's full appearance on MMA Junkie below:

While Dana White has stated that he plans for the duo to fight at Wembley next year, Lovell's comments are interesting considering that Usman was the more dominant fighter over the course of five rounds.

Furthermore, with 15 wins in the UFC to his name, Usman is still one of the most dangerous fighters in the promotion. Edwards will be wary that he has a big task on his hands to pull off a first successful title defense in the trilogy battle against Kamaru Usman.

Watch Dana White talk about a potential trilogy fight between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards in the UK below: