Leon Edwards and the 5 Best Comeback Wins in MMA History
Leon Edwards shook up the MMA world Saturday when he knocked out long-reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in the final minute of their rematch.
In the main event of UFC 278, Usman was comfortably ahead on the official scorecards after losing the first round but dominating the next three and appeared to be coasting to an easy win.
Announcers proclaimed Edwards as "broken" and noted that he could take a moral victory if he could go the distance with the champion. Edwards did appear exhausted and rather checked out after spending so much time on the business end of Usman's power wrestling.
Then, with less than a minute seconds remaining, Edwards threw a straight left, enticing Usman to slip to the side. But Edwards also threw a left high kick, connecting flush across the side of Usman's head. With no buildup for fanfare, there Usman was, staring sightlessly into the lights. No follow-up shots were needed. It was as clean a knockout as you could want.
It was an instant entry onto the short list of the sport's best comeback wins. That got us thinking: Who else belongs on that short list? Here are our top five. No need to write your own picks in the comments; this is the definitive list, and it can't be argued or improved upon. It's just science.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 6
Listed in no particular order:
- UFC: 116 Brock Lesnar def. Shane Carwin by submission (arm triangle), 2:19, Rd. 2, 2008
- UFC 144: Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami by TKO (punches), 0:54, Rd. 3, 2012
- Bellator 272: Sergio Pettis def. Kyoji Horiguchi by KO (spinning back fist), 3:24, Rd. 4, 2021
- UFC Live 4: Cheick Kongo def. Pat Barry by KO (punch), 2:39, Rd. 1, 2011
- The Ultimate Fighter 4: Scott Smith def. Pete Sell by KO (punch), 3:25, Rd. 2, 2006
- UFC 31: Shonie Carter def. Matt Serra by KO (spinning back fist), 4:51, Rd. 3, 2001
5. Darren Elkins Rises from the Dead Against Mirsad Bektic
2 of 6
Weight class: Featherweight
Event: UFC 209
Date: March 4, 2017
Result: Darren Elkins def. Mirsad Bektic by KO (kick), 3:19, Rd. 3
There was a time when Mirsad Bektic was considered one of the brightest prospects in the entire UFC after a 4-0 start with the company. Power-grinder Darren Elkins was his biggest test to date, but Bektic was still substantially favored in the contest.
Bektic jumped out of the gate, bludgeoning and bloodying the veteran Elkins. A ground-and-pound elbow sliced Elkins open. According to UFC Stats, Bektic landed 39 significant strikes in Round 1, while Elkins landed three.
Elkins did a better job offensively in Round 2, but Bektic connected on 72 percent of his significant strikes. Still, Elkins survived.
In the final round, with barely a minute and a half remaining, Elkins landed a right hand, then another. Suddenly Bektic appeared unsteady. Elkins took that moment to fire a head kick, and that was all she wrote.
Not bad for a guy who was obviously losing or a guy who wasn't known for striking coming into the bout. But the Indiana native etched his name in the history books with this sudden and emphatic comeback.
4. Frankie Edgar Weathers the Storm in Rematch with Gray Maynard
3 of 6
Weight class: Lightweight
Event: UFC 125
Date: January 1, 2011
Result: Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard, ruled split draw
The first round was so lopsided in Maynard's favor that all three judges awarded the challenger a 10-8 on their scorecards. Maynard repeatedly found a home for his right hand, and Edgar was bruised and battered at the end of the frame.
Edgar may not have used the rope-a-dope strategy on purpose, but he was clearly the fresher fighter as the second round began. The next four rounds were close, but Edgar did enough to force a draw even after that savage first-round beating.
His stamina, quickness and precision allowed him to outland Maynard in every round except the first, with a 42 percent success rate on his strikes compared with 33 percent for Maynard.
It didn't happen in an emphatic fashion like some of the others on this list, but the toughness, poise and determination Edgar displayed in this one remains a career highlight for the surefire Hall of Famer.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
3. Fedor Emelianenko Overcomes Iconic Slam to Down Kevin Randleman
4 of 6
Weight class: Heavyweight
Event: Pride FC: Critical Countdown 2004
Date: June 20, 2004
Result: Fedor Emelianenko def. Kevin Randleman by submission (kimura), 1:33, Rd. 1
Lasting only 93 seconds, this classic was a tempest in a teapot.
Following a Randleman takedown, Emelianenko began to get up but gave up his back in the process. That led Randleman, a powerful wrestler at the peak of his powers, to lift the Russian and suplex him over his head, nearly spiking Emelianenko's head on the canvas.
Somehow Emelianenko remained conscious and even active, immediately scrambling with Randleman for an advantage. He took advantage of Randleman's blood lust, grabbing and holding side control as Randleman thrashed underneath.
Displaying his trademark icy calm, Emelianenko methodically landed blows to the side of Randleman's head and saw an opening. He grabbed for an arm and locked on a nasty kimura, and it was all over.
This was one of the key battles that helped create the mystique that still follows Emelianenko today.
2. Leon Edwards' One-Shot Dethronement
5 of 6
Weight class: Welterweight
Event: UFC 278
Date: August 20, 2022
Result: Leon Edwards def. Kamaru Usman by KO (head kick), 4:04, Rd. 5
We'll see whether Edwards can replicate this magic or whether he's a one-shot wonder like Holly Holms.
Either way, nothing will ever dim the shine of this all-time great comeback.
Usman used his wrestling game to a tee. Call it conservative or even boring, but it's athletically brilliant, and it works.
When the head kick landed, Usman had 10:36 of control time in the bank, including 3:23 off two takedowns in the third round alone. So, nearly half of the fight unfolded literally under Usman's control. Usman landed 83 strikes to Edwards' 55.
Edwards had no answer for Usman's pressure—simply covering up as Usman backed him against the fence and fired off combinations—and couldn't get up once Usman had him on the mat. No matter how you slice it, Usman was making easy work of this challenger.
The ultimate outcome was as simple as it was shocking, as sudden as it was spectacular. The Salt Lake City faithful were for the most part respectfully quiet—until they weren't, and there was a new champion.
1. Anderson Silva's Hail-Mary Triangle on Chael Sonnen
6 of 6
Weight class: Middleweight
Event: UFC 117
Date: August 7, 2010
Result: Anderson Silva def. Chael Sonnen by submission (triangle armbar), 3:10, Rd. 5
Give it up for the best comeback win that will probably ever be.
You think Usman's control time was impressive? How about 19:53 from Sonnen, a vast majority of the 23:10 total fight time?
Sonnen's strategy was smart and sound: take Silva down, keep him there and throw low-impact, stay-busy strikes. Sonnen landed 320 total strikes, 89 of which were deemed significant. Silva connected on just 29 significant strikes for the entire bout.
The challenger was doing his thing in the fifth, working from top guard and landing hammerfists on the champion. But Silva saw something and threw up his legs for a triangle choke. He pulled the arm through and elicited a surprisingly quick tap—one Sonnen tried to protest afterward, to no avail.
These two had a rematch at UFC 148, with Silva notching an easy TKO victory to end one of the most dramatic feuds in UFC history. Silva had many iconic performances, but this one may have been his greatest, and it's certainly the greatest comeback to occur in MMA.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
