Leon Edwards hadn’t tasted defeat in practically a decade when he had one of many worst nights of his life falling to Belal Muhammad this previous July within the struggle that value him the UFC welterweight title.
Within the aftermath of that disappointing outcome, Edwards hasn’t spoken a lot in regards to the loss exterior of the struggles he confronted making an attempt to carry out whereas competing at a weird begin time with the primary occasion kicking off round 5 a.m. Wanting again now, Edwards has come to phrases with what went unsuitable that evening, however he’ll by no means utterly get previous dropping, particularly such a monumental struggle.
“I form of let this loss sit with me for a bit bit, simply to get it in [my head] that I truly misplaced initially,” Edwards instructed MMA Preventing. “Then from there, I used to be capable of regroup. Despite the fact that it was a loss, it nonetheless a detailed struggle, proper? Like he received three rounds, I received two rounds on the scorecards on my worst evening. So it’s simpler to place it behind me figuring out that it wasn’t totally me in there on my greatest evening. It was simpler to place it behind me that method.
“Clearly a loss hurts, and it’s upsetting, however now I’m at a stage the place it’s what it’s. I imagine I’m one of the best welterweight within the division. I’ve simply acquired to go on the market Saturday evening and show it and simply put all my wrongs proper and it begins Saturday evening.”
Edwards returns to motion this weekend in opposition to Sean Brady with the prospect to redeem himself in one other five-round important occasion with hopes {that a} win places him proper again into title rivalry.
Whereas he’s moved on from that loss to Muhammad this previous July, Edwards admits that the way in which all of it went down is at all times going to bug him simply because he is aware of he didn’t carry out wherever close to his greatest that evening.
“I watched it earlier than when it first completed, I rewatched it,” Edwards stated in regards to the struggle. “I haven’t watched it since. I at all times knew I felt prefer it wasn’t me, and watching it again, it wasn’t me. It was tough to look at the way in which the struggle went and figuring out that 9 out of 10 occasions I beat Belal however that one time he acquired the win. It’s what it’s.
“[Now] I’m specializing in turning into a two-time world champion. That’s the place my head is at.”
Lots has been stated in regards to the rivalry that spawned out of two fights between Edwards and Muhammad that dates again to their first encounter in 2021. That evening, Edwards opened the struggle in dominant vogue however he delivered an eye fixed poke that broken Muhammad’s imaginative and prescient sufficient that he couldn’t proceed.
The struggle was declared a no contest and whereas Edwards moved onto ultimately turn out to be UFC champion, Muhammad by no means forgot in regards to the unfinished enterprise between them.
Simply over three years later, Muhammad lastly made good on his promise to beat Edwards when he traveled to England and earned a unanimous determination to say the welterweight title. Since that evening, Muhammad not often misses an opportunity to remind Edwards about their rematch and he’s even gone so far as saying that he doesn’t imagine that the previous champion will ever earn his method again for an additional title shot.
However in contrast to among the really vile issues that Colby Covington stated main as much as his struggle in opposition to Edwards in 2023, Muhammad by no means turned issues private. That’s why Edwards is holding issues skilled the place Muhammad is anxious even when their personalities undoubtedly conflict.
“He’s simply an annoying human being,” Edwards stated with fun. “Simply the way in which he seems and the way in which he talks, he’s simply annoying. That’s all it actually was. There wasn’t nothing private. He’s only a bizarre man.”
Edwards admits it did sting a bit bit extra to drop his title to Muhammad, however in actuality, he simply laments his poor displaying that evening and the loss was going to harm irrespective of who it got here in opposition to.
“As a result of it was Belal [it was worse] however like I stated, a loss is a loss,” Edwards stated. “It may have been whoever to be trustworthy. It doesn’t actually matter who it was. I really feel like I’m significantly better than my final struggle was and that’s all it was. It was extra on my behalf than anyone else.
“Like I stated, I hate to lose and it’s confirmed by my file and confirmed my how a lot I’ve received within the UFC. It’s what it’s proper now. I’m simply targeted on the subsequent chapter proper now.”
If all goes effectively at UFC London, Edwards undoubtedly places himself in place to probably compete for the title once more whereas Muhammad is getting ready for a showdown in opposition to Jack Della Maddalena in the primary occasion at UFC 315 in Could.
Edwards truly spent weeks getting ready for Della Maddalena, who was his unique opponent for the cardboard on Saturday till the Australian welterweight was pulled to face Muhammad following an harm suffered by No. 1 ranked contender Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Fact be instructed, Edwards truly favors Della Maddalena barely in that title struggle, however there’s no denying that ultimately getting the prospect to reclaim the title from Muhammad would imply extra to him.
“It might undoubtedly imply extra to me to take it again from Belal,” Edwards stated. “I really feel prefer it’s a detailed struggle him and Jack. Jack’s acquired good scrambles. He’s simply taken down, however he’s good scrambling again to his ft. I really feel like his boxing is best than Belal’s. If I needed to favor anyone, I’d in all probability favor Jack in that struggle. However let’s see.
“I’m not rooting for none of them to be trustworthy with you. I’d love for it to be Belal so I can get the belt again from Belal, but when it’s not, it’s not. I don’t give a shit who wins or loses. That’s the place I’m at.”
