"I went to his backyard when he wasn't there and left it undefended" - Mike Perry calls out Leon Edwards after beating MVP in London
Leon Edwards went from relatively unknown to a global superstar overnight following his win against Kamaru Usman at UFC 278. Since becoming champion, 'Rocky' has been name-dropped by welterweight stars such as Khamzat Chimaev and Jorge Masvidal, but the call-outs have not stopped there.
Mike Perry was interviewed by Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour following his victory over Michael 'Venom' Page at BKFC 27. During the interview, Perry speculated on who his next opponent could be. He mentioned the likes of Jake Paul and current boxing world champion Oleksandr Usyk. 'Platinum' even threw Leon Edwards' name out there.
Perry said the following:
"I want to fight good guys, Mike Tyson, Usyk, who's another one... Leon Edwards, you know."
Helwani asked 'Platinum' to elaborate on his decision to call 'Rocky' out, and he said this:
"Congratulations to him, man. The UK won that night, for the belt. He won in the States and I went to his backyard when he wasn't there and left it undefended."
Watch the video below from 13:15:
It does seem unlikely that Perry will get the chance to fight 'Rocky'. 'Platinum' has signed a deal with BKFC, and with Edwards winning the belt, his UFC contract has automatically been extended.
Leon Edwards admits that the altitude in Utah may have affected his performance
Leon Edwards appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani following his incredible victory at UFC 278. During the interview, he was asked if he was worried about the altitude affecting him. 'Rocky' had arrived in Salt Lake, where the fight took place, two weeks before UFC 278 to help acclimatize to the altitude.
Edwards said that he initially was not worried, as he felt his preparation would stand him in good stead. However, 'Rocky' admitted that after seeing other fighters fatiguing dramatically during their bouts, the altitude worried him.
'Rocky' then explained that he could feel his body slowing down following round one of the main event:
"I was watching backstage, and I didn't say it to nobody else but I was thinking in my head, 'Ah sh*t why is everyone getting tired?' But when I went out there, after the first round, my body just shut down. I can't explain it, it was a weird feeling. It weren't cardio, it was just more that my body wasn't reacting."
Watch the video below from 4:20:
Even with the altitude affecting him negatively, Leon Edwards still had enough energy to land the strike that cemented his name in UFC history.