There is one top prospect that believes the UFC is protecting Darren Till.
That prospect is Leon Edwards, who already has his next fight lined up under the promotional banner in the Octagon. However, that has not stopped him from talking about Till.
Edwards is slated to fight former title contender Donald Cerrone in a welterweight bout that will serve as the headliner of the upcoming UFC Singapore (UFC Fight Night 132) event.
This comes off the heels of Till’s big win over title contender Stephen Thompson in the main event of UFC Liverpool event back in May that aired live on FOX Sports 1 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.
“I wasn’t disappointed,” Edwards said in an exclusive interview with MMANyttahead of his fight against Cerrone. “The aim isn’t Darren Till. The aim is to be a world champion. That was just a simple call out to say I’m the best welterweight in England and that’s all that was.”
“I was cage side watching it and there was nothing that jumped off the page,” Edwards said about the fight. “Both guys didn’t want to hit each other. It was a lackluster performance from both guys to be fair. It was nothing special watching that fight.”
“That fight would be a huge fight for England but I feel the UFC wouldn’t give me that fight,” Edwards said about facing Till. “They’re going to try to build both guys from what I’m hearing. That would be a good fight for the U.K. 100-percent but whoever is after this fight, whoever in the top 10, I’ll fight against. “After going out there and performing against Donald Cerrone, my aim is anyone in the top 10.”
This event is slated to take place n Saturday, June 23, 2018 in Kallang, Singapore at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The main card will air on the promotion’s streaming service, UFC Fight Pass, at 8 a.m. ET while the preliminary card will be broadcasted on UFC Fight Pass at 4:30 a.m. ET.
Rising UFC welterweight Leon Edwards has racked up five straight victories inside the Octagon since suffering his last loss to Kamaru Usman in December 2015.
Now, Edwards has a shot at breaking into the welterweight division in a big way if he can pick up a victory over longtime veteran Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. He’ll main event UFC Singapore in a welterweight contest opposite Edwards this weekend (Sat. June 23, 2018).
Edwards has been trying his best during his current hot streak to get himself noticed. In fact, at UFC London this past March following his win over Peter Sobotta, Edwards called out fellow rising English star Darren Till.
Till, however, has gone on to bigger and brighter things now ranking as the UFC’s No. 2 welterweight following a win over Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. While putting in work inside the Octagon is obviously a must, Edwards recognizes that you need to stand out on the microphone as well (quotes via MMA Fighting):
“It’s not just about fighting now; it’s about talking,” Edwards said. “That’s not really my thing, but it’s what you need to do. I have to go in there and make a impression in the fight and then I’ve got to make an impression when I speak after the fight.”
Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports
Edwards hopes that a win over Cowboy will earn him the recognition he feels he deserves. After Till defeated Cerrone he went on to headline a card in Liverpool against Stephen Thompson. The 26-year-old Englishman is hoping for the same treatment:
“It’s gotta be the biggest fight of my career to date,” said Edwards. “Cowboy is a legend of the sport and this is my first headline fight with the UFC, so it’s a very big deal. I see a win here opening the door for fights further up the rankings, that’s the plan anyway.
“We saw Till getting a fight in Liverpool after he beat Cerrone. I hope a win here will give the UFC a reason to get over to Birmingham again — it would be dream for me to fight in my hometown. This is the win that will hopefully see me get the credit I deserve.
“I’m on a five-fight win streak now so I think it’s about time that I get my chance against guys at the top of the division.”
The welterweight division has seen a changing of the guard, so the speak, in recent months. Former UFC lightweight title holder Rafael dos Anjos dominated former division champion Robbie Lawler, Colby Covington has risen to interim champion level and Darren Till is fresh off a win over Thompson.
Edwards feels that a win over Cerrone will put him right into the top ten, and he wants to show he’s a part of the new movement of fighters that will take the division over:
“The older guys are fading out now. I’m young, I’m just 26 years old. I think everyone else in rankings is over 30. It’s the changing of the guard for sure, and I’ve got to show that I’m a part of that new movement. That’s what I’m focused in on ahead of this fight. I’ve got to show everyone that I’m a threat in this division,” Edwards explained.
“These older heads are there for the picking now,” he continued. “They’ve still got the name, they’ve still got the clout, but they are maybe more beatable than they once were. They’ve had their turn at the top of the division and now it’s our turn. Everybody knows Cerrone, and by putting him away it puts me straight into that top 10.”
As far as how he plans to beat Cowboy, Edwards has located a keyhole in the ex-lightweight title challenger’s game – he doesn’t do well under pressure:
“He’s fine when he’s having his own way, but every time he’s put under pressure he crumbles every time. That’s not a secret, everybody knows that about him,” Edwards said.
The biggest fight of Leon Edwards mixed martial arts (MMA) career is on the horizon. The 26-year-old Jamaican-born welterweight will headline UFC Singapore this weekend (Sat. June 23, 2018) against veteran Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Edwards h…
The biggest fight of Leon Edwards mixed martial arts (MMA) career is on the horizon. The 26-year-old Jamaican-born welterweight will headline UFC Singapore this weekend (Sat. June 23, 2018) against veteran Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Edwards hopes that with a big win over Cerrone he’ll get an opportunity similar to that of Darren Till, who was gifted […]
The BAMMA middleweight division has entered a transitional period. With the now former champion, Mike Shipman having officially left for Bellator and vacating his middleweight title in the process, the logical next contender is the hot prospect, Fabian…
The BAMMA middleweight division has entered a transitional period. With the now former champion, Mike Shipman having officially left for Bellator and vacating his middleweight title in the process, the logical next contender is the hot prospect, Fabian Edwards. In the lead-up to his bout with SBG trained Claudio Conti – there was a lot […]
The upcoming UFC card expected to land in Singapore has a main event as perennial contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will face Leon Edwards in a welterweight showdown on June 23. Sources close to the matchup confirmed that verbal agreements …
The upcoming UFC card expected to land in Singapore has a main event as perennial contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will face Leon Edwards in a welterweight showdown on June 23. Sources close to the matchup confirmed that verbal agreements are in place from the fighters with bout agreements expected to be signed at any time. […]
The UFC has already confirmed that top prospect Darren Till would return to action inside the Octagon at the upcoming UFC Liverpool event. Although the promotion has yet to officially announce his opponent, there is one rising contender who wants to fight him. That contender is Leon Edwards, who earned his fifth straight win inside […]
The UFC has already confirmed that top prospect Darren Till would return to action inside the Octagon at the upcoming UFC Liverpool event.
Although the promotion has yet to officially announce his opponent, there is one rising contender who wants to fight him.
That contender is Leon Edwards, who earned his fifth straight win inside the Octagon this past weekend by knocking out Peter Sobotta with one second remaining in the fight.
Following the win at UFC Fight Night 127, Leon took to the mic to call out Till, who is coming off the biggest win of his pro-MMA career thus far by beating former title contender Donald Cerrone.
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Edwards went on record by stating that wants this fight to go down at the upcoming UFC Liverpool event.
“Stop being a pussy and let’s fight. You say you’re the greatest of all time, so let’s prove it. That’s my words to him. Let’s go, stop waiting for the ‘Wonderboy’ fight, I’m down the road, let’s go,” he said (transcript courtesy of MMA Mania).
“Hopefully they stay on it and keep pushing me, keep building a star. I feel I’ve got everything to be a star. I just got to get them behind me and believing in me,” said a confident Edwards.
“I’ve been competing with all these guys they’ve been giving me; all of the so-called tough guys, up-and-coming guys and I am beating them with ease. So hopefully they get behind me now and start pushing me and giving me top 10 fights.”
UFC Liverpool is set to take place on May 27, 2018, at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. The main card will air on FOX Sports 1 at while the preliminary card will be split broadcasted on FOX Sports 1 at and the promotion’s streaming service, UFC Fight Pass.
The UFC will be announcing the official main event and more bouts in the weeks to come.
