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In victory, Edwards extended his unbeaten run in the UFC to 12 fights, his last defeat coming against Usman in 2015.
"He didn't get any takedowns, I was landing cleaner shots, I took out his legs," said Edwards.
"I couldn't get the kick around his head. He had the perfect defence. I was trying to set it up with kicks to the body and legs."
As the bell rang at the end of the fight Usman raised his hands, believing he had won, and he maintained this position in the post-fight interview while paying tribute to Edwards.
"I think I did enough to win the fight but I knew it was close," he said.
"He had a great gameplan. I always said from the start we'd meet again and I'm not done. We will see each other again.
"I always gave him props for what he's accomplished. He's a brother like myself and great respect. London you've got yourself a great champion."
In the co-main event, American Justin Gaethje earned a majority decision win over fellow lightweight Rafael Fiziev in an entertaining bout.
With both fighters renowned for their dangerous striking, the bout was billed as a fight-of-the-night contender and it did not disappoint.
Following a close two rounds, Gaethje, 34, began to find regular openings in the final five minutes as a series of jabs and uppercuts dealt visible damage to Azerbaijani Fiziev's face.
In the post-fight interview, Gaethje suggested a final run at the lightweight title may lie in wait, currently held by Islam Makhachev, before hinting at retirement.
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