Usman tried and failed to regain his belt in the rematch, but that fight had the former champion in a difficult spot. Edwards desperately wanted to headline a pay-per-view in England, which meant the two needed to do the dance in March, just seven months after the previous fight. Although that turnaround might seem fine, timelines go out the window when recovering from a knockout like the one Usman suffered. For context, Justin Gaethje and Alexander Volkanovski had 11 and 14 months, respectively, between their knockout losses and subsequent fights. For Max Holloway, who suffered his first knockdown and knockout loss of his career to Ilia Topuria, nine months will have passed when he steps into the Octagon to face Dustin Poirier at UFC 318.
In the fight itself, Usman fought well, if not hesitantly. Edwards fought like a man whose confidence was boosted and buoyed by the title, but the result was razor close. Regardless, Edwards retained the belt via majority decision, and Usman left London empty handed.
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The next opportunity would come in October, albeit at the last second, as Usman decided to step in on short-notice to face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 after Paulo Costa dropped out of the fight. Fighting at 185 pounds for the first time, and in a three-round fight for the first time in more than five years, Usman weathered Chimaev’s patented early onslaught. By the third round, he found his rhythm and looked much more like the Usman of our memories. Time ran out, however, and Usman was left regretful of his slow start.
