5 biggest upsets in UFC title fights

#2. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman - UFC 278

Last Saturday's matchup between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman was one of many firsts. The rematch was almost seven years in the making and both fighters were vastly different by the time of their second encounter. When the pair first met, Usman did as he had to nearly everyone he's faced in the UFC, suffocating them with his power-wrestling and relentless pressure.

While 'Rocky' put forth a valiant effort in the first round, the rest of the bout was Usman's to claim by unanimous decision. The rematch, now for the welterweight championship that Usman had defended five times, resembled their first outing.

In the first round, Edwards shocked the world by being the first fighter to secure a takedown against Usman in MMA. He immediately advanced to full mount before a scramble led to him controlling the Nigerian's back.

Edwards threatened chokes but Usman escaped the first round unscathed. By the 2nd round, 'Rocky' was tiring, no doubt succumbing to the elevation in Salt Lake City. From then on, Usman wrestled control from his foe, literally. Edwards was repeatedly taken down and controlled as the memory of Usman conceding his first-ever takedown became more distant as the fight progressed.

Seeming discouraged and even dispirited, Edwards looked as if he no longer believed in himself. Pep talks from his corner led to nothing, and by the fifth round, his fate was sealed — or so it seemed.

With Usman a minute away from retaining his title, he glanced at an Edwards jab and left hand, slipping his head to the outside of his foe's straight left. What Usman didn't know, however, was that he had slipped his head into the path of a left high kick.

When Edwards' shin connected, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' was put to sleep, falling unconscious as a fighter who looked all but beaten rose to claim victory from the jaws of defeat. Edwards became the first fighter to take Usman down, the first to knock him out, the first to defeat him in the UFC, and all while stopping the Nigerian from equalling Anderson Silva's record of 16 straight wins.

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#1. Matt Serra vs. Georges St-Pierre - UFC 69

Today’s fight fans remember Georges St-Pierre as an extremely safe fighter who preferred to control his opponents instead of searching for a finish. However, the consensus greatest UFC welterweight of all time has not always fought so conservatively. Before UFC 69, 'GSP' had 13 wins, with only two of them being decision victories.

After capturing UFC gold from MMA legend Matt Hughes, who at that point was the only man to ever defeat the Canadian, St-Pierre seemed primed for a long run as the welterweight champion. While the prediction was eventually right, 'GSP' was scheduled to face his most memorable foe, Matt Serra. Like Julianna Peña before her first bout with Amanda Nunes, Serra had only won a single fight since his previous loss before facing 'GSP'.

No one but Serra himself expected to win. St-Pierre was a significant favorite and had just bested the great Matt Hughes in his prior fight. At UFC 69, however, the events that transpired were too unlikely to believe.

After a few minutes of exchanges, during which 'GSP' seemed intent on establishing a step-in jab, Serra countered his foe with an overhand right over the top: a strike that served him well as the shorter and more powerful fighter.

'GSP' was rocked, stumbling but recovering to his feet. Serra, however, smelled blood and immediately swarmed the Canadian with follow-up punches, dropping him. St-Pierre popped back to his feet but was hurt again before being knocked down two more times. With his rival looming over him, St-Pierre absorbed a barrage of punches that left him limp in what many still describe as the biggest upset in UFC history.