After his friend Israel Adesanya's title loss, Leon Edwards unveils his aspirations to become a double UFC champion
Leon Edwards has outlined his desire to move up to middleweight and become a two-division UFC champion.
Edwards is currently preparing to make his second welterweight title defense when he takes on Colby Covington at UFC 296 next weekend. Edwards is looking to extend his unbeaten streak to 13, whereas 'Chaos' is marking his return to action having not competed since March last year.
Ahead of his bout on December 16, Edwards spoke with Rio Ferdinand of TNT Sports. 'Rocky' was asked about his aspirations for the future, and 'Rocky' revealed that he's eyeing up a potential move to middleweight in order to become a double champ.
Leon Edwards noted that his friend Israel Adesanya is no longer at the top of the pile at 185 pounds, meaning he feels more inclined than ever to attempt to become the first British 'champ-champ' in UFC history. He said:
"It has to be done, 100%, strap up. I walk around quite big anyway and I always wanted to move up but I'm friends with Israel Adesanya, but now he's taken a back step a little bit, why not? Why not move up and try and be great? ...That would be history. Nobody from the UK has done it. To be able to do that, I think motivates the whole MMA and the sport in general in the UK."
Catch Edwards' comments here (16:15):
Michael Bisping details Leon Edwards' path to victory against Colby Covington
Michael Bisping believes Leon Edwards will walk away victorious at UFC 296, providing he can keep the fight against Colby Covington on the feet.
Bisping noted that 'Chaos' is notoriously known for his relentless pressure fighting style and his wrestling ability. To counter it, he stated 'Rocky' must bring the same level of takedown defense he displayed against Kamaru Usman to his bout against Covington.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, 'The Count' said:
"If he [Leon Edwards] can maintain range, if he can keep at a distance, he can use the jabs, the straight shots, punish Colby with knees and elbows on the inside and use those head kicks in stunning fashion and just basically keep the fight off the ground. That’s it in a nutshell."
Bisping continued:
"If he can keep the fight off the ground, he’s probably going to retain the belt, but it ain’t going to be easy because Colby is like an Energizer Bunny. He just never stops. He keeps coming and coming and coming. He’s got cardio for days."
Catch Michael Bisping's breakdown here (1:30):