"He does tend to go to a decision" - Laura Sanko analyses why Leon Edwards is missing the "halo effect" despite experts singing his praises
Leon Edwards is the No.2-ranked welterweight contender and has gone unbeaten in his last 10 fights. Unfortunately, he doesn't get the same plaudits or attention as some of his divisional peers like Khamzat Chimaev and Belal Muhammad, who are both ranked below him.
UFC on ESPN analyst and reporter Laura Sanko recently spoke about Edwards and the lack of attention on him. Speaking to her audience on her YouTube channel One On One, Sanko said:
"It's not just me saying this, you talk to any UFC analyst, any coach, they will all sing his [Edwards'] praises to the nth degree and it's wild to me that all of the people who are really willing to dig into the weeds, see the greatness of Leon Edwards and yet there's still like not this 'halo effect' that is usually deserved when you are that good everywhere. And I think it comes down to a couple of things. First off, he does tend to go to a decision but that doesn't always mean you're a boring fighter."
She went on to analyze the nitty-gritties of Edwards' fighting persona and approach:
"And I don't think that Leon Edwards is a boring fighter. I think that Leon Edwards is an incredibly intelligent fighter. I think he has such an array of weapons at his disposal in any phase of the game that I think sometimes he doesn't express a lot of passion in his fighting. He's not taking ridiculous risks because that's the fighter that he is. He is out there, he is gonna outthink and he's gonna make the right adjustments and he's gonna use the right tool in the right moment. But I think sometimes the fans read that as a lack of passion, which I don't think it is."
Watch Laura Sanko's full fight preview on her YouTube channel:
Leon Edwards has a shot at redemption against Kamaru Usman
Seven years on from their fight in 2015, 'Rocky' will get a chance to redeem his last loss in 10 fights. Edwards lost to Kamaru Usman at UFC on Fox 17: Dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2 via decision at the end of three rounds.
However, the welterweight has bounced back in style and gone on an undefeated streak with nine wins and one NC. Meanwhile, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has cemented himself as the pound-for-pound best on the planet and the undisputed welterweight champion.
The two top welterweights will headline UFC 278 with the welterweight championship on the line.
Edwards will no doubt look to avenge his loss from seven years ago and not fall prey to the marauding Nigerian.