Although Usman was leading 3-1 on the judges' scorecards and had successful wrestling, Edwards was able to make a comeback and secure a last-minute finish. Edwards believes that Usman will be impacted by his first-ever knockout defeat and will not be able to change his fighting style in just five or six months.
In an interview with BT Sport, Edwards stated that he cannot see Usman being a completely different fighter in such a short period. He also acknowledged that a knockout affects everyone differently and questioned how Usman will react coming off a knockout and fighting the same opponent who knocked him out.
“Right, for him, the fight was going his way, What does he change? The way he fought me last is the way he fights. I can’t see him in the space of five, six months now being a totally different fighter. I just can’t see it happening. "
“A knockout affects everyone different. He’s what now, 35, 36 years old? Coming off a knockout and fighting the same guy who’s just knocked him out, so lets see how he comes back and how he reacts.”
As UFC fans eagerly await the upcoming fight, it remains to be seen how Usman will respond to his defeat and whether he will be able to overcome Edwards in their third encounter.