Din Thomas doesn’t suppose Leon Edwards has the guts of a fighter.
This previous Saturday, Edwards confronted off with Sean Brady in the primary occasion of UFC London the place issues went horribly for the previous champion. Brady dominated “Rocky” for many of the struggle after which grew to become the primary man to complete Edwards, submitting him with a mounted guillotine choke within the fourth spherical. However Thomas, who was within the nook for Brady on Saturday, knew the struggle was over lengthy earlier than the faucet. He says it was over the second Edwards shot for a takedown within the third spherical.
“When he did that, I acquired quiet and I checked out John Marquez, the pinnacle coach, and mentioned, ‘Did he simply attempt to take Sean down?’” Thomas mentioned on Anthony Smith’s podcast. “After which when he acquired reversed, John was like, ‘Man, we might simply play checkers and we might actually play chess proper now as a result of we don’t must do something.’ We simply knew at that time, the struggle was over. When Leon shot that takedown, he confirmed his hand that he didn’t wish to be there anymore and that was a wrap. I couldn’t consider it.”
It was a devastating loss for Edwards who’s now on the primary dropping streak of his profession and effectively exterior the title dialog. Even perhaps worse is how these two losses have regarded. Thomas says Edwards’s dropping streak revealed a harsh actuality for the previous champion: he doesn’t have the guts for this.
“I don’t need this to be disrespectful towards Leon, as a result of I nonetheless consider that talent for talent, his physique kind and all that, that he was an ideal champion,” Thomas mentioned. “He’s an ideal fighter. He’s nonetheless top-five materials. However I simply don’t suppose that Leon is, in his coronary heart, an actual true fighter.
“And I say that when it comes to Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier. These guys will struggle you in a parking zone. I believe he’s an athlete and I believe he’s a performer. I believe he’s artistic. I believe within the health club, he in all probability eats up all people within the health club. Tremendous magical. I simply suppose when the lights come on and it’s time for him to essentially struggle — regardless of not being a real fighter, he was nonetheless that good. He was nonetheless that good and nonetheless in a position to beat all people.”
It’s a harsh evaluation from Thomas, however not the primary time he’s levied it at Edwards. In Edwards’ second struggle with Kamaru Usman, Thomas was on the UFC broadcast and famous that Edwards appeared mentally defeated, shortly earlier than Edwards scored a miraculous last-minute comeback knockout. There was no such comeback for Edwards this day trip, and with a rising pattern measurement, Thomas believes that even Edwards’s crew is aware of he’s talking the reality.
“I believe they even acknowledge that Leon at instances just isn’t a real fighter at coronary heart,” Thomas mentioned. “They usually need him to be, that’s why they’re protecting of him. That’s why the coach is like, “Come on, son! Don’t let him bully you!’ As a result of they know that if he had a bit bit extra grit in him and had the power to chew iron, that he would in all probability nonetheless be world champ. …
“And to be honest, I didn’t have it both. That is how I do know what it appears to be like like as a result of I didn’t have it both. When issues acquired onerous for me, I resorted to pulling guard, too. I resorted to taking pictures takedowns and pulling guard, so I do know what it appears to be like like.”
