"I'll just be me" - Leon Edwards talks about the 'hate, beef and trash talk' between the top welterweights
Leon Edwards is currently the No.2-ranked contender in the welterweight category, one of the UFC's toughest divisions. The welterweight division is also one of the more trash-talking divisions in the sport, as it is home to Colby Covington, Khamzat Chimaev, Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz and more.
Leading up to his UFC 278 welterweight championship fight against Kamaru Usman, Edwards sat down with Shakiel Mahjouri on his YouTube show, Shak MMA. Edwards was asked about navigating a trash-talking division as a stoic fighter, and stated (starting at the 4:20 mark):
"I'll just be myself, I'll just be me... I've not lost since my competition with Kamaru. I can't sit here and be like "nah, s**t, blah, blah, blah, he's not this and that". He's proved that he's a good fighter."
Edwards offered an explanation for why the fighters in his division tend to trash-talk so frequently, stating (starting at the 4:58 mark):
"I think they're trying to use the - they're trying to sell the fight and trying to put themselves into positions where they did not earn. When you earn something, you truly believe in the heart that you deserve it, and I'm not sure that those people do, so I'm comfortable in my position and ready and happy to go in there and compete against Kamaru." [sic]
Edwards has credited his humility to his rough upbringing. For someone that has been through a lot to get to his level, it is easy to see how he doesn't get lost in the dramatics of trying to sell a fight. He spent a rough, piverty-stricken childhood in Jamaica before immigrating to the UK.
Watch Leon Edwards' full appearance on SHAK MMA below:
Can Leon Edwards become king of the welterweight division?
Leon Edwards has shown that he is a great fighter. He also hasn't been very active, as his last fight was over a year ago and he has only two fights in the past three years, courtesy of several cancelled bouts.
Edwards will be taking on the pound-for-pound king, Kamaru Usman, whom he lost to nearly seven years ago.
Your full #UFC278 main card is here 👀 https://t.co/0NpJcgTp8T
Edwards enters the fight confident that he can defeat Usman in his first championship fight. Despite a unanimous loss in their first matchup, Edwards did win the first round on two scorecards.
Expect a much different fight the second time around, as both fighters have evolved tremendously. While Edwards has become one of the best fighters in the division, Usman has become one of the greatest fighters of all-time.
"Kamaru Usman is just one fight away from tying Anderson Silva' - Dana White https://t.co/twQieUfDlT
Usman enters the fight with an opportunity to tie the UFC record for the longest win-streak. While Edwards will look to put an end to that streak, beating Usman seems like a nearly impossible task. If Edwards is able to accomplish that, he will be the first fighter in UFC history to do so.