"We went the distance in his hometown" - Leon Edwards implies judging bias in Kamaru Usman fight
One of the top-ranked UFC welterweight contenders, Leon Edwards, has recently gone into detail regarding his decision loss to the now UFC 170 lbs champion, Kamaru Usman.
Their fight took place in 2015, with both men still early in their UFC careers. It was also Edwards' most recent loss; he has put together a winning streak of nine wins and one no-contest since his fight with 'The Nigerian Nightmare.' This run of good form now has Leon Edwards ranked third in the 170lb division.
Following a decisive victory over Nate Diaz in his last UFC appearance, Edwards is hoping a rematch with Kamaru Usman will materialize in the near future. Usman won the first fight via a unanimous decision. However, in a recent interview with James English, Edwards implied that the result might have been skewed due to Usman's hometown advantage.
"It went the distance, in his home town as well," said Leon Edwards. "In his home town. But it's all good. It's always a lesson."
Leon Edwards' self analysis of his loss to Usman
Whether or not there was any controversial judging, Leon Edwards appears extremely aware that the mentality and the game plan for his fight against Usman was not that of a UFC champion. He stated:
"I fought with a defensive mindset. I wasn't thinking about what I needed to do, it was more just about what he's going to do and do I let him do it. That's not a good way to look at life or fighting."
Leon Edwards is now in a slightly awkward position where he certainly deserves a shot against the champion, but Dana White appears to have already guaranteed Colby Covington another shot at Kamaru Usman's belt.
Edwards appears to be content to wait for their fight to be resolved and fight the winner. However, his fellow contenders are racking up victories, and if he does not stay active, then there is a legitimate chance that he will be overlooked for the title shot once again.
A fight against Jorge 'Gamebred' Masvidal would make a lot of sense for Edwards. The two men have history after they came to blows in the aftermath of a UFC London card several years back.