Islam Makhachev believes Leon Edwards got “lucky” with head kick KO of Kamaru Usman

Islam Makhachev has given his thoughts on Leon Edwards‘ fantastic knockout win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 278.

This October at UFC 280, Islam Makhachev will take part in the biggest fight of his career as he prepares to battle Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight championship. The contest is set to go down in Abu Dhabi and while Makhachev has been tipped to become a world champion for a long time, Oliveira will almost certainly serve as the toughest test he’s faced to date inside the Octagon.

Another title challenger, Leon Edwards, was able to shock the world at UFC 278 earlier this month with a head-kick knockout over former P4P number one Kamaru Usman. The win saw Edwards finally ascend to the top of the division and capture the UFC welterweight title.

As it turns out, Islam Makhachev was watching that main event – and he wasn’t particularly impressed by ‘Rocky’.

“Edwards [got] lucky because [Usman] beat him all five rounds, almost,” Makhachev said. “First round, [Edwards took] him down, take his back, but other rounds [Usman] beat him very easy, took him down many times and smashed him there. When they’re going to fight again in rematch, 100 percent I think Kamaru is going to beat him because Edwards have same problem, always with wrestling guys.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

The popular belief among fans and pundits is that Edwards’ win wasn’t, in fact, lucky, and that the setup of the kick and execution helped make it one of the best finishes of the year thus far.

With that being said, the main focus for Makhachev will now turn to the mammoth opportunity he has on Fight Island.

Do you agree with Islam Makhachev’s assessment of Leon Edwards’ win over Kamaru Usman? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!