“He knows there’s a lot of Nigerians and Jamaicans. But I think I will be well represented in England.”
Kamaru Usman believes he will have the crowd advantage over Leon Edwards if their proposed trilogy bout takes place in the U.K.
Edwards, born in Jamaica, immigrated to the U.K. when he was four years old—becoming the second British fighter to win a UFC title after Michael Bisping. He knocked out Usman with less than a minute on the clock in their welterweight title fight at UFC 278, marking one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history, a real ‘Rocky’ moment.
However Usman is confident of his chances in the rematch and believes he will be represented well in the U.K., better than Edwards, due to his Nigerian heritage.
“Now you’re in their country, which honestly, I think imma have more fans his country than he will,” Usman told UFC color commentator Joe Rogan in a recent interview (h/t MMA News). “That’s no knock on Leon. I like Leon; I really do. Half of England is Africa. There’s a lot of Nigerians in England, a lot of Nigerians. He knows there’s a lot of Nigerians and Jamaicans. But I think I will be well represented in England.”
Edwards vs. Usman III is expected to take place next year, although the matchup has yet to be confirmed by the UFC.