Leon Edwards talks about rumors regarding Kamaru Usman's broken hand ahead of their fight at UFC 286
Amidst all the confusion, Leon Edwards has cleared the air and insisted that Kamaru Usman is the man he will be facing for the welterweight title at UFC 286, despite the former champion seemingly carrying an injury.
Speculation began mounting when 'The Nigerian Nightmare' was spotted wearing a hand brace just months out from his rumored championship fight in London. With doubts surrounding the challenger, fans started to speculate as to who the British champ would face, with Jorge Masvidal being a recurring name on people's lists.
During a recent interview with Michael Bisping, Leon Edwards confirmed that he will be facing Kamaru Usman on March 18. He claimed the UFC informed him that the NCAA Division II wrestler has been training for the bout.
"Yeah, a hundred percent [I'm fighting Kamaru Usman at UFC 286]. That's what I've been told, that's what my team's been told. I spoke to the UFC last week, I think, and they said the fight is on. He's already training for the fight, so I was like, 'Okay, perfect.' I am aiming towards that, but if something changes in the meantime then we'll go from there, but now I am focusing on that trilogy against Usman in London."
In one of the greatest moments in sports history, Leon Edwards not only knocked out the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world with less than a minute on the clock, but he also captured UFC gold. He became only the second-ever UK athlete to do so.
Check out what 'Rocky' had to say about his rumored title fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286 in the video below:
With a title fight between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman still not official, what other fights will take place at UFC 286?
Fans are in for a great night of fights when March 18 rolls around as the UFC has managed to once again stack their London event with bangers. Rumors are suggesting they're still not finished building the card.
The fan-favorite all-English clash between Lerone Murphy and Nathaniel Wood has recently been confirmed. Jai Herbert will look to bounce back from his sickening knockout loss when he faces the always-entertaining Ludovit Klein.
Following his recent surge in form, Roman Dolidze will be given a huge chance to jump into the top 5 at middleweight when he confronts the tough Marvin Vettori in the cage, alongside many more matchups.