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UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards believes he has a significant advantage over Kamaru Usman when it comes to the location for their upcoming trilogy fight.
Last August, Edwards provided one of the standout moments of 2022 when he dethroned previously long-reigning 170-pound king Usman courtesy of a brutal head-kick knockout. Now, having taken the gold in the United States, “Rocky” will look to defend it on home soil.
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that Edwards will collide with “The Nigerian Nightmare” once again, putting the belt on the line in the UFC 286 main event. The card will go down inside The O2 arena in London, marking the promotion’s first pay-per-view in the UK since 2016.
Having spent much of his UFC career travelling, and after missing out on a headliner in England’s capital when COVID-19 scrapped his planned showdown with Tyron Woodley, Edwards is understandably excited at the prospect of defending his newly won title close to home.
On the other side, Usman appears similarly enthusiastic about the location. He quickly stated following his defeat at UFC 278 that he hoped to regain his place on the throne in his rival’s backyard.
But having seen that, the champ has suggested that Usman doesn’t know what he’s walking into, both in terms of the atmosphere and his form on home turf.
Edwards Acknowledges History Fighting At Home
During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Edwards looked ahead to his return to the Octagon and first UFC main event in front of his compatriots.
After noting his intrigue in terms of how Usman will approach the fight following a devastating knockout loss, the Englishman also stated his interest in seeing how the former titleholder fares fighting in hostile territory.
“It’s gonna be a totally different atmosphere from what he thinks. I think this is his first time actually coming to someone’s backyard,” Edwards said. “I’ve fought my whole career in other people’s backyards. I’m used to it. Let’s see how he reacts. it’s gonna be a hard task for him.”
Edwards also sought to remind Usman of his strong record in the UK.
“And one more point, I’ve never lost in the UK as well, amateur or pro,” Edwards said. “I’ve never lost a fight in the UK. For Usman to come to the UK, my headline show in London for the belt, I just can’t see how he gets it done… Amateur I went 10-0 in the UK, and then pro until I got to the UFC.”
After going unbeaten as an amateur, Edwards found success on the UK regional scene, most notably under the BAMMA banner. Edwards did, however, suffer one setback on home soil, although not through fighting pedigree. In 2012, he was disqualified against Delroy McDowell after landing an illegal knee.
Outside of that blemish, though, “Rocky” has gone 13-0 in the UK as a professional, including wins over Pawe? Pawlak, Albert Tumenov, Vicente Luque, Peter Sobotta, and Gunnar Nelson in the UFC.
Do you think home advantage will play into Leon Edwards’ favor against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards believes he has a significant advantage over Kamaru Usman when it comes to the location for their upcoming trilogy fight.
Last August, Edwards provided one of the standout moments of 2022 when he dethroned previously long-reigning 170-pound king Usman courtesy of a brutal head-kick knockout. Now, having taken the gold in the United States, “Rocky” will look to defend it on home soil.
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that Edwards will collide with “The Nigerian Nightmare” once again, putting the belt on the line in the UFC 286 main event. The card will go down inside The O2 arena in London, marking the promotion’s first pay-per-view in the UK since 2016.
Having spent much of his UFC career travelling, and after missing out on a headliner in England’s capital when COVID-19 scrapped his planned showdown with Tyron Woodley, Edwards is understandably excited at the prospect of defending his newly won title close to home.
On the other side, Usman appears similarly enthusiastic about the location. He quickly stated following his defeat at UFC 278 that he hoped to regain his place on the throne in his rival’s backyard.
But having seen that, the champ has suggested that Usman doesn’t know what he’s walking into, both in terms of the atmosphere and his form on home turf.
Edwards Acknowledges History Fighting At Home
During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Edwards looked ahead to his return to the Octagon and first UFC main event in front of his compatriots.
After noting his intrigue in terms of how Usman will approach the fight following a devastating knockout loss, the Englishman also stated his interest in seeing how the former titleholder fares fighting in hostile territory.
“It’s gonna be a totally different atmosphere from what he thinks. I think this is his first time actually coming to someone’s backyard,” Edwards said. “I’ve fought my whole career in other people’s backyards. I’m used to it. Let’s see how he reacts. it’s gonna be a hard task for him.”
Edwards also sought to remind Usman of his strong record in the UK.
“And one more point, I’ve never lost in the UK as well, amateur or pro,” Edwards said. “I’ve never lost a fight in the UK. For Usman to come to the UK, my headline show in London for the belt, I just can’t see how he gets it done… Amateur I went 10-0 in the UK, and then pro until I got to the UFC.”
After going unbeaten as an amateur, Edwards found success on the UK regional scene, most notably under the BAMMA banner. Edwards did, however, suffer one setback on home soil, although not through fighting pedigree. In 2012, he was disqualified against Delroy McDowell after landing an illegal knee.
Outside of that blemish, though, “Rocky” has gone 13-0 in the UK as a professional, including wins over Pawe? Pawlak, Albert Tumenov, Vicente Luque, Peter Sobotta, and Gunnar Nelson in the UFC.
Do you think home advantage will play into Leon Edwards’ favor against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
Last August, Edwards provided one of the standout moments of 2022 when he dethroned previously long-reigning 170-pound king Usman courtesy of a brutal head-kick knockout. Now, having taken the gold in the United States, “Rocky” will look to defend it on home soil.
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that Edwards will collide with “The Nigerian Nightmare” once again, putting the belt on the line in the UFC 286 main event. The card will go down inside The O2 arena in London, marking the promotion’s first pay-per-view in the UK since 2016.
Having spent much of his UFC career travelling, and after missing out on a headliner in England’s capital when COVID-19 scrapped his planned showdown with Tyron Woodley, Edwards is understandably excited at the prospect of defending his newly won title close to home.
On the other side, Usman appears similarly enthusiastic about the location. He quickly stated following his defeat at UFC 278 that he hoped to regain his place on the throne in his rival’s backyard.
But having seen that, the champ has suggested that Usman doesn’t know what he’s walking into, both in terms of the atmosphere and his form on home turf.
Edwards Acknowledges History Fighting At Home
During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Edwards looked ahead to his return to the Octagon and first UFC main event in front of his compatriots.
After noting his intrigue in terms of how Usman will approach the fight following a devastating knockout loss, the Englishman also stated his interest in seeing how the former titleholder fares fighting in hostile territory.
“It’s gonna be a totally different atmosphere from what he thinks. I think this is his first time actually coming to someone’s backyard,” Edwards said. “I’ve fought my whole career in other people’s backyards. I’m used to it. Let’s see how he reacts. it’s gonna be a hard task for him.”
Edwards also sought to remind Usman of his strong record in the UK.
“And one more point, I’ve never lost in the UK as well, amateur or pro,” Edwards said. “I’ve never lost a fight in the UK. For Usman to come to the UK, my headline show in London for the belt, I just can’t see how he gets it done… Amateur I went 10-0 in the UK, and then pro until I got to the UFC.”
After going unbeaten as an amateur, Edwards found success on the UK regional scene, most notably under the BAMMA banner. Edwards did, however, suffer one setback on home soil, although not through fighting pedigree. In 2012, he was disqualified against Delroy McDowell after landing an illegal knee.
Outside of that blemish, though, “Rocky” has gone 13-0 in the UK as a professional, including wins over Pawe? Pawlak, Albert Tumenov, Vicente Luque, Peter Sobotta, and Gunnar Nelson in the UFC.
Do you think home advantage will play into Leon Edwards’ favor against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Last August, Edwards provided one of the standout moments of 2022 when he dethroned previously long-reigning 170-pound king Usman courtesy of a brutal head-kick knockout. Now, having taken the gold in the United States, “Rocky” will look to defend it on home soil.
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that Edwards will collide with “The Nigerian Nightmare” once again, putting the belt on the line in the UFC 286 main event. The card will go down inside The O2 arena in London, marking the promotion’s first pay-per-view in the UK since 2016.
Having spent much of his UFC career travelling, and after missing out on a headliner in England’s capital when COVID-19 scrapped his planned showdown with Tyron Woodley, Edwards is understandably excited at the prospect of defending his newly won title close to home.
On the other side, Usman appears similarly enthusiastic about the location. He quickly stated following his defeat at UFC 278 that he hoped to regain his place on the throne in his rival’s backyard.
But having seen that, the champ has suggested that Usman doesn’t know what he’s walking into, both in terms of the atmosphere and his form on home turf.
Edwards Acknowledges History Fighting At Home
During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Edwards looked ahead to his return to the Octagon and first UFC main event in front of his compatriots.
After noting his intrigue in terms of how Usman will approach the fight following a devastating knockout loss, the Englishman also stated his interest in seeing how the former titleholder fares fighting in hostile territory.
“It’s gonna be a totally different atmosphere from what he thinks. I think this is his first time actually coming to someone’s backyard,” Edwards said. “I’ve fought my whole career in other people’s backyards. I’m used to it. Let’s see how he reacts. it’s gonna be a hard task for him.”
Edwards also sought to remind Usman of his strong record in the UK.
“And one more point, I’ve never lost in the UK as well, amateur or pro,” Edwards said. “I’ve never lost a fight in the UK. For Usman to come to the UK, my headline show in London for the belt, I just can’t see how he gets it done… Amateur I went 10-0 in the UK, and then pro until I got to the UFC.”
After going unbeaten as an amateur, Edwards found success on the UK regional scene, most notably under the BAMMA banner. Edwards did, however, suffer one setback on home soil, although not through fighting pedigree. In 2012, he was disqualified against Delroy McDowell after landing an illegal knee.
Outside of that blemish, though, “Rocky” has gone 13-0 in the UK as a professional, including wins over Pawe? Pawlak, Albert Tumenov, Vicente Luque, Peter Sobotta, and Gunnar Nelson in the UFC.
Do you think home advantage will play into Leon Edwards’ favor against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
