If Leon Edwards was a betting man, his money would be on Michael ‘Venom’ Page to hand Ian Machado Garry his first career loss.
On Saturday, June 29, Garry will put his ‘O’ on the line as he continues to work his way up the welterweight ladder. Standing in his way of a potential spot in the division’s top five will be MVP, a former Bellator standout looking to make his own mark in the loaded 170-pound weight class.
Offering his thoughts on the impending clash, reigning welterweight king Leon Edwards suggested that, while it may not produce the most exciting of results, he believes ‘Venom’ will ultimately see his hand raised in Las Vegas.
“I feel like it’s one of these fights where it’s like both guys will play in range and they’re like not committing, waiting to kind of punch each other,” Edwards told Sky Sports. “If I had to put money on it, I’d probably favor ‘MVP.’ It’ll be a good fight. I’m interested to see how it plays out.”
Leon Edwards is focused on the task at hand
Sitting in the No. 7 and No. 13 spots respectively, Ian Machado Garry and Michael Page have a lot of work to do before Edwards is willing to see them as a potential threat to his throne.
“If they both keep winning, 100 percent,” Edwards said. “For me, I only look at No. 1 and No. 2. I think after that, it just gets too … like, just too much coming in. After I beat Belal, that’s how I look at it. I don’t look at No. 10 or 11 or 9 yet. Until they start getting to that No. 5, I’ll be like, ‘OK, who’s this?’ Then I’ll start looking” (h/t MMA Junkie).
Right now, the only thing on Leon Edwards’ mind is his upcoming title fight with the division’s No. 1 ranked contender, Belal Muhammad. The bout is scheduled to emanate from Co-op Live in Manchester, England when the promotion heads back to Manchester, England for UFC 304 on June 27.
‘Remember The Name’ secured his spot at the top with an impressive nine-fight win streak dating back to 2019. Along the way, Muhammad has earned noteworthy wins against the likes of Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, Vicente Luque, Sean Brady, and Gilbert Burns—all fighters who currently reside in the welterweight top 15.