Ben Askren offers advice for Leon Edwards
Leon Edwards is presently riding an eight-fight winning streak and is regarded by many as one of the top MMA competitors in the Welterweight division.
Edwards' most recent MMA bout came in July of 2019, wherein he scored a dominant unanimous decision victory over Rafael dos Anjos.
Although Edwards seemed poised to receive a shot at the UFC Welterweight Title, "Rocky" hasn't competed in the Octagon in the months that followed.
Ben Askren echoes Chael Sonnen's advice to Leon Edwards
Ben Askren, who retired from MMA competition last year, weighed in on Leon Edwards' current situation in the UFC Welterweight division.
Speaking to Submission Radio, Askren said that Edwards is unlikely to receive an opportunity to fight for the UFC Welterweight Championship. Askren added that the latter has a little more work to do before he gets a shot at the UFC Welterweight Title.
Additionally, Askren said that if he were in Edwards' place, he'd stop being picky and fight whoever the UFC offers him. Askren advised Edwards to take it upon himself to promote and hype up the fight.
Edwards has often claimed that he doesn't want to engage in trash talk in order to promote his fights. In that regard, Askren said that engaging in trash talk and hyping up fights is what increases your worth in the UFC.
Askren also said that Edwards cannot adopt a strategy of refraining from trash talk and then complain when he doesn't receive lucrative fights. Askren stated:
“This game has a very specific way (that) it works…The guys who can draw; the guys who can sell; get promoted to the top really quickly. Is that necessarily fair from a competitive standpoint? Probably not; but it’s probably also not gonna change.” (*H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)
Askren's views concerning Edwards echo Chael Sonnen's sentiments regarding the talented Welterweight fighter.
On a recent edition of ESPN's Ariel & The Bad Guy, Sonnen said that Leon Edwards does everything right but doesn't make himself "interesting".
Sonnen also pointed out that another top UFC Welterweight who displays a similar proclivity for not promoting oneself is Neil Magny. The former suggested that both Edwards and Magny ought to hype their fights, promote themselves, and ensure that they come across to the audience as interesting.
Will Leon Edwards listen to Ben Askren and Chael Sonnen's advice?
Leon Edwards had notably stated in recent times that he doesn't intend to engage in farcical trash talk to promote his fights.
The vast majority of MMA fans and experts currently believe that Edwards is unlikely to change his approach anytime soon, which could adversely affect his chances of being booked in a UFC title fight.
With Kamaru Usman set to defend his UFC Welterweight Championship against Gilbert Burns and the rest of the top Welterweights already booked in other matchups, Leon Edwards could potentially find himself in a UFC Championship match sooner rather than later.
Would you like to see Leon Edwards fight for the UFC Welterweight Title? Sound off in the comments.