"To have two UFC world champions from such a small island..." - Leon Edwards explains why both he and Aljamain Sterling take immense pride in their Jamaican origin
UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards has expressed the pride both he and Aljamain Sterling feel as UFC champions with Jamaican heritage.
'Rocky' was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and lived in a one-room house with both his parents and his brother. Their lives were surrounded by crime, and the Edwards family eventually moved to Birmingham, England, when Leon was nine years old. Tragedy struck when, at the age of 13, Edwards lost his father after he was shot in a London nightclub.
The 31-year-old believes his upbringing helped shape him into the fighter he is today and has recently built a bond with bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling while out in Abu Dhabi.
According to Edwards, Sterling and his team came into the gym while he was training and the pair bonded over their shared heritage as 'Funk Master' is also of Jamaican descent. In a video uploaded to the UFC's YouTube channel, Edwards stated:
"I was working out and he [Aljamain Sterling] came over with his team and started training and I was watching him thinking he's in fantastic shape and I said it to him. As a fellow Jamaican, it means the world for us and for Jamaica, for the country. It's such a small island and to have two UFC champions from such a small island, it means the world."
Catch Leon Edwards' comments at the 14:30-minute mark below:
Aljamain Sterling hopes T.J. Dillashaw is still cheating
Much of the build-up to Aljamain Sterling and T.J. Dillashaw's upcoming fight has been focused on the former champion's two-year suspension from MMA. Dillashaw tested positive for a banned substance in 2019 and was stripped of the bantamweight title as well as handed a multi-year ban from the sport.
T.J. Dillashaw returned to the octagon in 2021, narrowly defeating Cory Sandhagen in a grueling five-round contest. The UFC brass deemed the victory enough for a title shot against Sterling, but 'Funk Master' remains convinced that his upcoming opponent is still cheating.
According to Sterling, there's a part of him that hopes the 36-year-old is still cheating. The champion believes a victory over a cheater will add to his already impressive resume. 'Funk Master' told BT Sport:
"I don't think anyone who gets caught should be in the sport, personally. Because what's to stop them from doing it again? We've seen people get popped multiple times... That's all I'm saying. So, don't blame me for having the speculation... It is what it is. If he's doing it and I beat him, you know that makes it all that much better. Maybe I'm superhuman. So more of a feather in my cap."
Catch Aljamain Sterling's interview with BT Sport here: