"You can bet your bottom dollar that Leon Edwards will have success" - Michael Bisping breaks down 'Rocky's threat by comparing it to Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington

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Michael Bisping, Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards [Image courtesy of @mikebisping and @usman84kg on Instagram]

Michael Bisping has claimed that Leon Edwards will have success with his striking when he fights Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 for the welterweight throne.

The former middleweight champion drew his conclusion from Usman's fight against rival Colby Covington. He claimed that Convington's success with his hands against the Nigerian indicates that Edwards might succeed in doing the same.

Kamaru Usman, the No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, will look to successfully defend his belt for the sixth time against No.2-ranked welterweight Leon Edwards at UFC 278. Interestingly, his previous two fights have been rematches. The Nigerian's upcoming fight against 'Rocky' is a rematch that is nearly seven years in the making.

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Michael Bisping stated that Edwards will need to be mindful of Usman's wrestling proficiency, but is very confident that the Jamaican-born British fighter will have success with his striking:

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"We saw Colby Covington have success with the hands against Kamaru. If Colby has success with his hands against Kamaru then you can bet your bottom dollar that Leon Edwards will have success with his hands or striking."

He added:

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"He's gonna have to watch the wrestling. It's gonna be a dog fight."

Watch Michael Bisping discuss the fight on his YouTube channel:

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Laura Sanko believes Leon Edwards should have "taken a couple of risks" against Nate Diaz

UFC on ESPN analyst & reporter Laura Sanko has claimed that Leon Edwards should have taken some more risks against Nate Diaz at UFC 263.

Edwards fought Nate Diaz for the first ever non-title, non-main event five-round fight at the June 2021 pay-per-view. While he dominated the majority of the fight, his complacency almost cost him in the very last minute of the bout.

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'Rocky' later claimed that he was too bored and satisfied with the win, which presented the opening to Nate Diaz. Edwards still won convincingly, with three 49-46 scorecards.

One constant criticism of Edwards' performances has been a perceived lack of finishing instinct in his fights. Laura Sanko touched upon Edwards' unwillingness to take risks on the One on One YouTube channel, saying:

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"Like against Nate, you watch that fight and there's a little sense of frustration. Man, if he would've just found the gas pedal, he could've finished Nate. And then the last round comes, and it's like holy sh*t he just got cracked."

She added:

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"I think there were moments earlier on in that fight when he could've taken a couple of risks and gone on there to finish Nate."

Watch the video below:

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