Leon Edwards' coach explains intense speech at UFC 278 × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout MMA UFC News People started to leave the arena because they thought it was a foregone conclusion - Leon Edwards coach explains why he delivered intense speech before Rocky knocked out Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 By JFoMMATalk Modified 25 Aug 2022 Follow Us Comment Share Leon Edwards (left) and David Lovell (right)(Image via Instagram @DavidLovellBoxing) Leon Edwards' head coach David Lovell has opened up about the motivational speech he gave his fighter before the fifth round. Edwards visibly looked content with losing to Kamaru Usman before Lovell remotivated him. This led to the unpredictable head kick knockout that changed everything. Barstool Sports@barstoolsports“Quit feeling sorry for yourself!” -Leon Edwards coach to him right before the 5th round #UFC2784637441“Quit feeling sorry for yourself!” -Leon Edwards coach to him right before the 5th round #UFC278 https://t.co/AewNqkMq9h Lovell has been labeled a hero by the MMA world. His ability to be brutally honest with Edwards and tell him what he needed to hear had a direct impact on the shocking outcome. During an interview with MMA Junkie, the longtime head coach of 'Rocky' had this to say about his speech between the final rounds: "I knew I had to do something. His body language - he wouldn't look me in the eye. He was slumping in his chair. He looked dejected. I was like, 'this is not you, son. What is wrong?' I don't know what it was." He added: "Call it godly intervention, but I had to shake this kid out of his slump... Apparently, what I heard, halfway through the last round, people started to leave the arena because they thought it was a foregone conclusion." The UFC commentary team also wrote Edwards off before the head kick KO. 'Rocky' was the one that created the unforgettable moment. However, Lovell's ability to remotivate his fighter before the fifth round will always be a part of the story. Watch Leon Edwards' coach David Lovell discuss his motivational speech below: MMA Junkie@MMAJunkie"I knew I had to do something": Leon Edwards' coach Dave Lovell explains the viral speech that prompted a KO of Kamaru Usman.@MikeBohn's interview: bit.ly/3CDK6VQ844"I knew I had to do something": Leon Edwards' coach Dave Lovell explains the viral speech that prompted a KO of Kamaru Usman.@MikeBohn's interview: bit.ly/3CDK6VQ https://t.co/jUF8G193Bs Leon Edwards coach confirms that the head kick was a part of their gameplan Another viral video from the UFC 278 aftermath showed Edwards and his team planning to execute a left head kick. During the same interview, Lovell confirmed that it was part of their gameplan by saying: "We were drilling this. This wasn't a fluke thing. We've been drilling this." The motivational speech before the fifth round and the head kick being a part of the game plan makes this moment even better. Edwards was one minute away from his journey to a title shot coming to a disappointing end, but he showed how unpredictable MMA is. Watch Leon Edwards' team discuss the head kick before the fight below:Ben Kiely@TheJivemasterFluke?Hail Mary?Anyone who thinks Leon Edwards' KO of Kamaru Usman was either needs to watch this. #UFC278 12821Fluke?Hail Mary?Anyone who thinks Leon Edwards' KO of Kamaru Usman was either needs to watch this. #UFC278 https://t.co/tnqr6OTr0m Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Aditya Singh × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular ‍ Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeCricket NewsScheduleIND vs SAAUS vs WIENG vs PAKLegends LeagueECC T10County ChampionshipBukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022Japan Cricket LeagueWI-W vs NZ-WECT10T20 World Cup FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Extreme Rules 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarChina OpenTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी