Gilbert Burns has given his thoughts on what he believed to be a big factor in the Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman rematch.

Earlier this year at UFC 278, Leon Edwards shocked the world by knocking Kamaru Usman out to become the new UFC welterweight champion. While it was a victory that came as a surprise to many, the man himself always knew that he could win the big one – even when he was seemingly 3-1 down on the scorecards heading into the fifth and final round.

Gilbert Burns, a fellow contender at welterweight, has recently explained what he believes to have been a big factor in how everything played out from the start of the fight until the big finish.

“It’s going to be a hard fight,” Burns said about the trilogy. “Right now, we’ve got to see how Kamaru comes back. He seems pretty OK with the situation, a little bit released, that pressure, carrying the belt, but I see a lot of factors a lot of people didn’t see. The way I see it, Leon had a very good first round – took him down, mount, got his back. I think he kind of gassed out a little bit because of the altitude in Salt Lake.

“I think that was a big factor in that fight. That’s why Kamaru was able to dig deep, got back, dominated a couple of rounds. But Leon had the technique. You saw all the studies. He was drilling that a lot. I just think it’s going to be another close one, especially if they go to London. Yeah, it’s going to be a tough one. I still think it’s a 50-50 fight – both guys [have] got a chance. But in London, with that preparation, with the mindset now, I think Leon might get the best. It’s going to be a close one.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman trilogy fight?