Tag: Dave Lovell

Leon Edwards’ coach was seemingly far from pleased to see his man attempting to defend the UFC welterweight title at 5:30 AM this past weekend.

Edwards put his gold on the line on home soil for the second consecutive year, making the walk in Manchester, England, 16 months on from his first successful defense at the expense of Kamaru Usman in London.

After adding Colby Covington’s name to his résumé last December, “Rocky” returned to the cage in the UK to headline UFC 304. But unlike his last outing at The O2, the Jamaican-born Brit’s third defense didn’t come in local time.

Edwards competed at gone 5 AM in the morning as the promotion staged its Manchester return at the Co-op Live with the usual American timings. The champ was ultimately dethroned, with Belal Muhammad putting on a largely dominant display to capture the belt.

Talk of the US timings remained prominent throughout the event and in the aftermath, and Edwards suggested that he had struggled to adapt. His coach was also among those frustrated with the unnecessary demands placed on home fighters such as the now-former welterweight kingpin…

Edwards’ Coach On UFC 304 Timing: ‘Belal Never Had To Adjust!’

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Lovell reflected on his man’s defeat in Manchester, which marked Edwards’ first setback inside the cage since a decision loss to Kamaru Usman way back in 2015.

When asked whether the UFC 304 timings played a part, Lovell let his feelings known on the decision not to accommodate for European fans and the local fighters.

“You tell me (how much of an impact it had). Whichever fighter have you seen in his home country come out at half past 5, 5 AM in the morning, to fight?” Lovell said. “Realistically, it’s a joke really.

“Belal never really had to adjust because his clock is set to the times of what we were fighting to. But Leon, in his home country, had to adapt as if he was acclimatizing, as if he was fighting in another country and fighting at 5:30 in the morning,” Lovell continued. “It just doesn’t seem right somehow.”

Edwards and his team will now look forward to his pursuit of two-time status. With an immediate trilogy fight opposite new champ Muhammad appearing off the table, coach Lovell named Ian Garry as his preferred next opponent for “Rocky.”

“Remember the Name,” meanwhile, will be focused one establishing his reign and legacy at 170 pounds. In the eyes of man, that should begin with a first defense against the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov.

• Read More: Leon Edwards’ Coach Claims Injury Affected UFC 304 Performance: ‘He Couldn’t Wrestle The Way He Needed To’

Continue Reading Leon Edwards’ Coach Slams US Timing For UFC 304 Title Fight: ‘It’s A Joke!’  at MMA News.

Leon Edwards’ coach has looked to add some context to the former UFC welterweight champion’s wrestling struggles against Belal Muhammad.

Edwards headlined this past weekend’s UFC 304 pay-per-view event at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England, defending the 170-pound gold in a rematch with Muhammad.

Against the odds and despite many backing the champ to retain, “Remember the Name” proved that his confidence was well placed by putting on a largely dominant display across five rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory.

A key part of Muhammad’s title triumph was his renowned grappling game, as he utilized a smothering wrestling arsenal to control Edwards for significant portions of the UFC 304 headliner. That came as a surprise to many given Edwards’ strong wrestling defense, which helped him outpoint both Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington last year.

Now, some extra information has been attached to the former champ’s failure to combat Muhammad’s takedowns…

Coach Lovell Was ‘Dubious’ About Edwards Fighting Through Injury At UFC 304

During a recent interview on Submission Radio, coach Dave Lovell reflected on his man’s setback in Manchester this past weekend, which marked his first defeat since a decision loss to Usman in 2015.

While he acknowledged Muhammad’s display and suggested it simply wasn’t Edwards night, the experienced trainer did reveal some injury troubles that he believes hampered “Rocky’s” ability to handle the challenger’s main offense at UFC 304.

“Where Leon was concerned, a lot of people don’t know this — and I’m not making any kind of excuses for him — but we had a few niggles in camp. His back was niggling him,” Lovell said. “So he couldn’t wrestle the way he really needed to, offensively and defensively. We’re not taking anything away from Belal’s performance. He did well; the best man won on the night. But Leon will be back.

“I was very dubious because these niggles were going on for about maybe five or so weeks on or off. He had to go to a chiropractor (for) regular massages. But again, after one session, it was back to square one,” Lovell continued. “In the back part of my mind, I was thinking, ‘Should we go for this?’ But because he hadn’t fought for so long, Leon said he wanted it, so we just pushed forward through the injury, trained through the injury, and then tried to get through and get a victory. Unfortunately, it never happened.”

Edwards made no mention of the physical problems he seemingly entered the cage with at UFC 304 himself. In a short and succinct post-fight statement, “Rocky” apologized to his fans and vowed to regain the gold.

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• Read More: 4 Positives & 3 Negatives From UFC 304: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2

Continue Reading Leon Edwards’ Coach Claims Injury Affected UFC 304 Performance: ‘He Couldn’t Wrestle The Way He Needed To’ at MMA News.