Does Leon Edwards support Aston Villa? Here's what we know about UFC star's love for soccer
Leon Edwards is the reigning UFC welterweight champion and is among the most popular British mixed martial arts personalities today. The Jamaica-born Birmingham native is set to face Belal Muhammad in a highly anticipated title rematch at UFC 304 in Manchester this weekend.
After migrating to England, Edwards and his family lived in Aston, an area of inner Birmingham and home to the English Premier League's Aston Villa Football Club. Unsurprisingly, 'Rocky' grew up supporting his local team and has been a dedicated fan of "The Villans" for years.
Does Leon Edwards support Aston Villa?
Growing up in Aston, it's hardly a surprise that Leon Edwards is a die-hard fan of the club. After his high-profile victory over Colby Covington at UFC 296 last December, Edwards took the UFC belt to Aston Villa's home ground, Villa Park, and received a hero's welcome from the fans as he paraded the strap.
After Aston Villa's 3-2 win over Burnley F.C. on Dec. 30, a game for which Edwards was in attendance, the Englishman linked up with the team players in their locker room to celebrate the win and took pictures with them. In an Instagram post, 'Rocky' posed with several Aston Villa stars like Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey, and Emiliano Martinez and wrote in the caption:
"UP THE VILLA!!! Great game today boys solid win."
Given that soccer, or association football, dominates the sports culture in England and has cemented its place as the most popular sport in the nation, it's no surprise that British UFC stars like Edwards and Tom Aspinall have strong links to Premiership teams.
During a recent UFC 304 press conference, Edwards addressed a potential return to Aston Villa's home turf if he got past Belal Muhammad this weekend. The UFC champion hoped Dana White would allow an event to go down at Villa Park later this year and make the promotion's debut showcase in Birmingham. He said:
"If I keep defending my belt... I'm the guy, so why not? Villa Park would be perfect to have that in the summer. I think the UK deserves a stadium show. We haven't had one yet, so why not?" [H/T UK.News.Yahoo.com]
Watch the full UFC 304 pre-fight press conference below: