Leon Edwards is playing a high-stakes game in his own backyard. He’s convinced that a solid win against Sean Brady at UFC London is his express ticket back to the welterweight title picture. Basically, “Rocky” sees this as a must-win to get another crack at Belal Muhammad.
Here’s the backstory: Edwards was supposed to face Jack Della Maddalena, but then the title picture got all scrambled. Della Maddalena got the nod to fight Belal, and Edwards even tried to jump in himself. But, since UFC London was built around him, they stuck him with Brady instead.
“I heard about my replacement fight probably, like, a couple of weeks before,” Edwards explained. “I’d been in talks with the UFC, I was trying to step in to fight Belal, but they sold London around me. It would be weird to let Jack headline London.”
Why the sudden shuffle? Shavkat Rakhmonov, the number one contender, got injured, which opened the door for Della Maddalena. Edwards sees this as a lucky break, especially if Della Maddalena pulls off an upset.
“Also, Jack getting replaced to fight for the title, I feel like that opened up the division more,” Edwards said. “If he goes out and gets the win, I think that’s the perfect fight for me next. If Belal beats him, then a rematch is definitely as well.”
Edwards is confident the UFC has told him a win over Brady means a title shot. He’s basically saying, “I win, I fight for the belt. Simple.” He’s also brushing off his last loss to Belal, blaming it on things like fighting at home and a weird fight time. He’s ready to prove that wasn’t the real him.
“I spoke to the UFC, they told me that after this win this is a No. 1 contender fight. Whoever wins this, fights for the title. Well, when I win this I fight for the title. That is my aim.”
But Belal Muhammad isn’t playing along. He hit social media with a blunt, “Three long years,” basically telling Edwards to pump the brakes. So, while Edwards is planning his title run, Belal’s making it clear he’s not in a hurry.
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