Leon Edwards tells Kamaru Usman he can't beat Canelo Alvarez, friendly altercation follows
Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards engaged in a friendly back-and-forth verbal exchange at a press conference for UFC 278. Edwards and Usman are set to headline the pay-per-view event, which is scheduled to take place at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 20.
The P4P king has his next opponent set 😤
Kamaru Usman will face Leon Edwards at UFC 278 on August 20. https://t.co/sJSgOQ16NV
During a recently held press conference to promote the fight, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' discussed a potential crossover fight with boxer Canelo Alvarez. Usman revealed that he's a bit worried about having to share the ring with a world-class boxer like Alvarez.
Having said that, the UFC welterweight champ would also relish the opportunity to exchange leather with Alvarez and is looking forward to fighting the Mexican boxer down the line.
Before that, however, Usman would like Canelo to win a couple of fights and get back his aura of invincibility before pursuing that matchup.
Edwards chuckled in response to Usman's statement and claimed that 'The Nigerian Nightmare' knows he wouldn't be able to beat Alvarez in a boxing match and is only chasing the fight for money. This was followed by a bit of light-hearted banter between the two.
Check out the verbal exchange between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman in the video below:
Leon Edwards rejects claim that he's unlucky to not have fought for the title earlier
It's strap season! 😤
@Leon_edwardsmma has arrived! 😎
#UFC278 (via @UFCEurope) https://t.co/LQebPNDRZF
Leon Edwards has had to wait a long time to secure a title shot against Kamaru Usman. The Englishman is currently on a 10 fight winning streak and despite being a top-ranked contender for the past few years, he was overlooked and title fights were awarded to comparatively more popular fighters instead.
Interestingly, the Englishman doesn't consider himself unlucky for not having fought for the title previously. Instead, he claimed he's fortunate to have the opportunity now, at the peak of his prowess.
Edwards believes he has improved significantly over the years and is blessed to get the title shot at the right time. He said:
"I don't see [it] as unlucky... He gave me more time to improve myself, more time to get better and to put myself in a position where I am more confident to win the world title."
Needless to say, fans can expect both fighters to bring their absolute best come fight night. While Usman will look to defend his title for an impressive sixth time, Edwards will be gunning to take the welterweight strap back to England.