"Don't expect me to strike" - Kamaru Usman claims he will wrestle Leon Edwards and make him quit
Kamaru Usman has said that he won’t engage in a striking battle against Leon Edwards in their rematch. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ asserted that he’d wrestle with Edwards instead and make him quit.
Speaking to MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura, reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman opened up about his much-awaited rematch against Edwards. Their first fight witnessed Usman out-grapple and outpoint ‘Rocky’ en route to a unanimous decision win at UFC on FOX: Dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2 in December 2015.
Presently, Usman is recovering from hand surgery and will face ‘Rocky’ in a rematch at UFC 276 on July 2. Edwards, for his part, has asserted that although Usman’s striking has improved in recent years, the champion knows better than to strike with him.
In his interview with Danny Segura, Usman was asked how he sees their rematch playing out. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ responded:
“Yeah, he said that if I step in there with him, I won’t be striking the way that I am now. So, I’ll oblige. I give it to you. I will not strike. I am coming in to wrestle. I’m going to take him down. I’m going to beat on his face until he quits."
He continued:
"So, don’t expect me to strike, at all. I’m going to wrestle. Don’t expect me to strike, since I’m not a good striker. Don’t expect me to strike. I’m coming to take him down, and I’m going to beat his face in.”
Watch Kamaru Usman’s conversation with Danny Segura in the video below:
Chael Sonnen foresees Kamaru Usman beating Leon Edwards in a tough matchup
In an edition of Beyond the Fight, Chael Sonnen suggested that Usman is likely to beat Edwards in their rematch.
Nevertheless, the MMA legend indicated that the rematch against ‘Rocky’ wouldn’t be easy for Usman. He noted that Edwards could pull off an upset against Usman, but the latter would be the favorite heading into their rematch.
Breathe, Leon fans.
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Furthermore, Sonnen believes that the Usman-Edwards rematch probably won’t generate any significant hype. He added that Usman will look to "be done" with it and move on to other matchups that’ll generate hype and fan interest. Sonnen said:
"Kamaru Usman is fully aware it's gonna be a hard fight and for whatever reason, I gotta deal with this guy a second time, just to get him off my back. He's won eight in a row, hasn't lost in five years, I deny nothing. Bring him on, but bring him on quickly so I can be done with it, and I can move on to something that people want to see."
Watch a preview of Usman vs Edwards below: