Leon Edwards is chasing greatness but is fully focussed on the upcoming task at hand.
The UFC Welterweight champion will headline the stacked UFC 304 card in a rematch against Belal Muhammad on July 27 at the brand new Co-op Arena.
The 32-year-old finds himself ranked number three in the pound-for-pound rankings. With the Welterweight title already round his waist, Edwards now has his eye on climbing to the top of the pound for pound list. Speaking to talkSPORT MMA, he said:
“That’s my goal. Obviously my first goal was to achieve this (Welterweight title) and now I got it, I have got to make another. What is going to get me up in the morning to go out and achieve what I'm trying to achieve, that’s the numbers now. Obviously the money, the pound for pound rankings and stuff like that.”
Chasing champ champ status is something that has become increasingly popular in the UFC in recent years, with Edwards being the latest man to through his name in the looking to pursuit a second title. However, ‘Rocky’ is also not opposed to welcoming Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev to the Welterweight division, should that option roll around first.
“For sure, for sure (I would be up for facing Islam.) Obviously we have got work to do within the division. I feel like Islam just fought the first actual Lightweight. He fought Volk, but this is the first actual Lightweight he has fought within the division. He's on a three defence streak, after I beat Belal, that’ll be my third as well so both on similar paths so I can see it happen in the future.
“Also, I like to move up as well and try to challenge for the Middleweight belt as well, hopefully. So, whoever comes first.”
Before he can eye a second title, Edwards is fully focussed on finding a path to victory against Muhammad at UFC 304 and is looking forward to putting the chapter to bed. He said:
“I'm excited. Like I said, it's a rematch, you know? I’d done one and a half rounds with him before the eyepoke happened and the way he’s been talking, its like he was winning the fight, you know? So it's good now to go back in my home turf, Manchester headline a bill 27th of July, Co-op Arena, so I am excited man, in the summer, it'll be good.”
Although one of the most loved mixed martial artists in the UK now, Edwards has had a turbulent relationship with UK fans, even getting booed when he faced Gunnar Nelson in London back in 2019. Heading into the Muhammad contest, Edwards believes the fans will be fully behind him.
“I feel like Manchester will be all me, you know, he’s coming onto my territory and I'm defending my belt in my country, you know? So I feel like it's going to be exactly the same Usman 3, at the O2 and I feel like Belal is in for a shock at how the crowd is going to react, the pressure and how loud the UK fans are. So like I said, I'm excited to go out and perform.”
The gym in which Edwards represents, Renegade, are in for a busy few months, with Edwards and Arnold Allen both set to feature on July 27, before his brother Fabian goes for Bellator gold two months later, on a card that is also set to feature Tim Wilde. When asked about why he believes the gym is succeeding at the very top of the sport, Edwards credited the coaching and the fact all egos are left at the door.
“I feel like just the camaraderie, it just feels like home, like family, friends, there’s not like no ego in the gym. Everyone can just go there, have fun, learn, grow. There’s no one trying to take you out and hurt you everyday. You have opportunities to grow so I feel like that’s what it is. Everyone comes down, they enjoy the environment, so they want to stay.
“Dan Hardy and his Mrs, Veronica, comes down and they are there now a lot so often that's the most of what is really. Also great coaches and having people like me there and other people there that can mix and pick each other brain and just see techniques and different stuff like that.”
You can watch the full interview below:
