Leon Edwards discusses potential fourth fight with Kamaru Usman
Leon Edwards isn’t shutting down the possibility of a fourth fight against Kamaru Usman.
On March 18, ‘Rocky’ successfully defended the UFC welterweight championship for the first time with a majority decision against Usman. The win at UFC 286 was Edwards’ second consecutive win against ‘The Nigerian Nightmare,’ making the series 2-1 in his favor.
During an interview with Sky Sports, Edwards was asked if he would fight Usman for a fourth time. 'Rocky' responded by saying:
“Let’s see where his hunger is at. He did achieve quite a lot in this sport, so is he as hungry as he used to be to wanna go again and go for another run for the title? We’ll see. If he does, then yeah, surely, why not? Let’s see where he’s at.” [7:14-7:40]
Before fighting Edwards at UFC 278, Usman won 15 consecutive fights under the UFC banner. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ was one minute away from extending his winning streak before ‘Rocky’ landed the legendary head kick to become the UFC welterweight champion. The 35-year-old former champion must now decide whether he wants to grind back to a title shot or retire in the near future.
Meanwhile, 'Rocky' is currently on top of the world. The Birmingham native was underestimated throughout his UFC career before silencing the doubters against Usman. Dana White confirmed that Edwards' second title defense will be against Colby Covington, but the date hasn’t been announced.
Watch Leon Edwards discuss Kamaru Usman and more in his interview with Sky Sports below:
Leon Edwards wants his next fight to be at UFC 294 in October
The UFC returns to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 21 for UFC 294. The only main card fight currently rumored for the event is a middleweight matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa, which has not been confirmed.
During the same interview with Sky Sports, Leon Edwards voiced his interest in headlining UFC 294:
“In the last year or so, I’ve fought three times, I think. For me now, I’d love to fight towards the end of the year,. The Abu Dhabi card would be great. I think that would be the perfect timing.” [3:18-3:50]
Edwards also mentioned that he would fight in July if offered enough money. On July 22, the UFC takes a trip to the O2 Arena in London, England. There was hope for ‘Rocky’ to compete at that event, but he doesn’t seem interested in a quick turnaround.
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