Edwards stops Usman in 5th, claims UFC title

SALT LAKE CITY — Leon Edwards dropped Kamaru Usman with a kick to the head and neck in the final minute of the fifth round to win the welterweight championship at UFC 278 on Saturday night.

Usman appeared to be seconds away from a 16th consecutive victory, which would have tied an all-time UFC record, before Edwards came up with the stunning finish just in time.

Edwards (20-3) is undefeated dating to his previous bout with Usman in 2015. The British fighter rose to No. 2 in the welterweight division while accumulating nine wins in that stretch ahead of the title bout.

Usman (20-2) lived up to his reputation as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world for much of the bout. The Nigerian weathered a late first-round takedown and turned the tables with a late second-round takedown. Usman controlled position throughout the third round, earning two more takedowns. Usman appeared on his way to a win by unanimous decision before Edwards rallied in the final round.

Paulo Costa prevailed over former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in a unanimous decision in the middleweight bout. Costa (14-2) had lost two straight bouts coming into Salt Lake City.

Rockhold (16-5) returned to the octagon for the first time in three years, and his rust showed as the bout progressed. Costa more than doubled Rockhold in total strikes through the first two rounds and eventually left him with a bloodied mouth in the third round. Rockhold wiped his own blood over Costa’s face in the round’s final seconds while both fighters were locked in a stalemate on the ground.

Merab Dvalishvili prevailed over former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo in a unanimous decision in the men’s bantamweight bout, earning his eighth straight win. Aldo (31-8) had vocal support from the crowd but wore down under relentless pressure from Dvalishvili (15-4) over three rounds.