Tag: leon edwards

Belal Muhammad: Leon Edwards Has Dana White Privilege

UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad feels he should get more credit for a title shot than former adversary Leon Edwards. Muhammad outstruck Vicente Luque towards a unanimous decision in the UFC Vegas 51 headliner. He’s now won three in a row after wins over former title challengers Stephen Thompson and Demian Maia and before that…

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad: Leon Edwards Has Dana White Privilege at MMA News.

UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad feels he should get more credit for a title shot than former adversary Leon Edwards.

Muhammad outstruck Vicente Luque towards a unanimous decision in the UFC Vegas 51 headliner. He’s now won three in a row after wins over former title challengers Stephen Thompson and Demian Maia and before that a no-contest against Edwards.

Muhammad got revenge against Luque after getting knocked out in their first matchup at UFC 205. After earning arguably the biggest win of his career, Muhammad thinks he deserves more respect when it comes to the title shot conversation.

During his UFC Vegas 51 post-fight press conference, Muhammad opined on where he believes he stands against some of the top welterweight contenders.

“Who is the only one in the division with a better run than I am on?” Muhammad said. “I’m literally fighting Maia, Wonderboy, Luque. Who is Colby fighting? He’s fighting guys off of two losses in a row. Who is Leon fighting? He’s fighting ’55ers.

“None of these guys are fighting the contenders in the division, none of these guys have the guts to do that. I’m the one that’s going through 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I’m the one saying yes to the toughest in the division. Leon may have more wins than me, but he doesn’t have the quality of wins that I have.”

Muhammad went on to answer whether or not he feels more deserving of a title shot against Kamaru Usman than Edwards.

“I do. I don’t think he deserves to fight for the title. I think he has that Dana White privilege, but whatever. I don’t expect to be handed anything, I had to fight for everything I got. And I have to be willing to keep doing it.”

Muhammad is far from the first to refer to ‘Dana White Privilege’ during various interviews. Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson coined the phrase aimed at Michael Chandler during the leadup to his fight against Beneil Dariush at UFC 262.

While nothing has been officially announced, Edwards will get the next title shot against Usman, as confirmed by UFC President Dana White. This means that Muhammad will more than likely need to win one more to earn a shot at the belt.

Do you agree with Belal Muhammad?

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad: Leon Edwards Has Dana White Privilege at MMA News.

Sterling: Leon Edwards Winning A UFC Title Would Be Huge For Jamaica

UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling says that Leon Edwards winning a UFC title would be huge for Jamaica. Sterling became the first Jamaican to win a UFC belt with his title win over Petr Yan back at UFC 259. He has since defended his belt to claim his status as the undisputed champion having gone…

Continue Reading Sterling: Leon Edwards Winning A UFC Title Would Be Huge For Jamaica at MMA News.

UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling says that Leon Edwards winning a UFC title would be huge for Jamaica.

Sterling became the first Jamaican to win a UFC belt with his title win over Petr Yan back at UFC 259. He has since defended his belt to claim his status as the undisputed champion having gone through months of scrutiny regarding his legitimacy as the title holder.

Following the successful defence of his title at UFC 273, Sterling spoke on how he wants to headline a UFC Jamaica card featuring fellow representatives of the country. The UFC bantamweight champion named Edwards, Uriah Hall, Ode Osbourne, and Randy Brown amongst some of the names he wants to see on the card accompanying himself.

In a Q&A Video on Sterling’s podcast ‘The Weekly Scrap Podcast‘ the Jamaican said that Edwards winning the UFC welterweight title would be huge for Jamaica.

“I’m not saying Edwards is going to beat Usman,” said Sterling. “I like both guys, but if Edwards was to get the win that’s a huge feather in the cap for Jamaica. A second one, a second UFC champion. I think he was actually born in Jamaica though and lives in Manchester. I was actually born in the U.S. but my parents and my grandparents are all (born in Jamaica) and I still have family in Jamaica.”

Edwards represents both Britain and Jamaica in the UFC as he proudly carries both flags before and after his UFC performances. The UFC welterweight was born in Kingston, Jamaica, but grew up in Birmingham, England.

UFC 276 is expected to host Edwards’ shot at the title in July as he looks to conquer reigning champion, Kamaru Usman. The fight has yet to have been confirmed, however, with still some uncertainty as to whether the UFC welterweight champion will be ready having recently undertaken hand surgery.

Do you see Jamaica claiming another UFC champion in Leon Edwards?

Continue Reading Sterling: Leon Edwards Winning A UFC Title Would Be Huge For Jamaica at MMA News.

Usman’s Manager Discusses Likelihood Of Chimaev Title Fight

Kamaru Usman could face Khamzat Chimaev next with a win over Leon Edwards, according to his manager Ali Abdelaziz. Usman is expected to return this summer to defend his welterweight title against Edwards. The fight hasn’t been officially booked or announced yet as Usman continues to recover from hand surgery. Usman wrapped up 2021 as…

Continue Reading Usman’s Manager Discusses Likelihood Of Chimaev Title Fight at MMA News.

Kamaru Usman could face Khamzat Chimaev next with a win over Leon Edwards, according to his manager Ali Abdelaziz.

Usman is expected to return this summer to defend his welterweight title against Edwards. The fight hasn’t been officially booked or announced yet as Usman continues to recover from hand surgery.

Usman wrapped up 2021 as the UFC’s pound-for-pound king, with three-straight wins over Gilbert Burns, Jorge Masvidal, and Colby Covington. He is undefeated in his UFC tenure and earned the title by beating Tyron Woodley at UFC 235.

Chimaev’s hype train continued to move on the tracks following a win over Burns at UFC 273 last weekend. According to Abdelaziz, Usman is prepared to fight Chimaev after his fight with Edwards.

“Kamaru will never say no to nobody,” Abdelaziz said of Usman in a recent interview with ESPN. “We used to chase people in hotel rooms to fight with people for years. If the UFC says it makes sense, and that’s what they want. But I believe the right guy is Leon Edwards. How could you say no to him? Especially with England becoming a hot market again. But Khamzat is very young. If you want to beat Khamzat, you fight him now. He’s still young in the sport, remember he has just five fights. But I think there’s an upper echelon in the division. There’s everyone else, and then there’s Kamaru.

“Khamzat in one or two more years, he’s going to be very, very hard to beat. Right now he’s human…right now, it’s a big decision. Does the UFC want to push him to a title now? Or not now? Dana’s going to put him in big fights because he has a lot of hype.”

Chimaev has promised to defeat Usman when he gets a title shot in the UFC. He’s also mocked Usman’s call for a boxing fight against Canelo Alvarez in a crossover matchup.

Chimaev moved up eight spots from No. 11 to No. 3 in the latest UFC rankings with the win over Burns. If Usman can defeat Edwards later this year, it appears that a fight with Chimaev may be near the top of their wish list.

Who wins in a matchup between Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev?

Continue Reading Usman’s Manager Discusses Likelihood Of Chimaev Title Fight at MMA News.

Kamaru Usman Reveals His Game Plan For Leon Edwards: ‘I Am Coming In To Wrestle’

Kamaru UsmanKamaru Usman admits he has got no intention of striking with Leon Edwards. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has been working on his standup skills for a while now and it’s paying dividends as he’s picked up KO/TKO wins in three of his last five fights. Usman is so confident in his striking that he fancies himself […]

Kamaru Usman

Kamaru Usman admits he has got no intention of striking with Leon Edwards.

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has been working on his standup skills for a while now and it’s paying dividends as he’s picked up KO/TKO wins in three of his last five fights.

Usman is so confident in his striking that he fancies himself in a boxing bout with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. Despite that, the UFC welterweight champion does not want to exchange shots on the feet with Edwards when they clash later this year.

“He said that if I step in there with him, I won’t be striking the way that I am now, so I’ll oblige. I’ll give it to you, I will not strike,” Usman told MMA Junkie. “I am coming in to wrestle, I’m going to take him down, I’m going to beat on his face until he quits so don’t expect me to strike at all. No, I’m going to wrestle, don’t expect me to strike, don’t expect me to strike since I’m not a good striker. Don’t expect me to strike, I’m coming to take him down and I’m going to beat his face.” (Transcribed by Sportskeeda)

Kamaru Usman Already Holds A Win Over Leon Edwards

Usman and Edwards first clashed all the way back in 2015.

The welterweight duo, who were fairly new to the UFC at this point, battled it out for three rounds before Usman walked away with the unanimous decision victory.

Since then, ‘Rocky’ has put together a nine-fight winning run but is yet to secure what seems to be a long-overdue shot at Usman. The Englishman has been plagued by bad luck that has seen him pick up just one win in the last two years.

Dana White has confirmed that Edwards is next for Usman, who is currently healing up after undergoing an operation on his hand.

The 170lb pair are expected to rematch in the summer months of 2022.

Do you think Kamaru Usman is scared to strike with Leon Edwards?

Usman To Edwards: You’re Right, I Won’t Strike With You, I’ll Only Wrestle

UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has responded to Leon Edwards’ suggestion that he won’t be as willing to strike with the Englishman as he has been in recent fights. Since dethroning Tyron Woodley in 2019, Usman has successfully defended the title five times and established himself as a contender for GOAT status at 170 pounds….

Continue Reading Usman To Edwards: You’re Right, I Won’t Strike With You, I’ll Only Wrestle at MMA News.

UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has responded to Leon Edwards’ suggestion that he won’t be as willing to strike with the Englishman as he has been in recent fights.

Since dethroning Tyron Woodley in 2019, Usman has successfully defended the title five times and established himself as a contender for GOAT status at 170 pounds. Having brushed aside two challenges apiece from Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal, as well as one from former teammate Gilbert Burns, the list of fresh contenders certainly thinning.

And next up for the champ appears to be another rematch. Earlier this year, UFC President Dana White confirmed that Edwards is set to get his long-awaited title shot in the summer.

The pair first collided in 2015, where Usman emerged victorious on the scorecards. Since that defeat, Edwards has gone unbeaten in 10 bouts, defeating the likes of Nate Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos, Donald Cerrone, and Vicente Luque.

Given the Englishman’s development since their first meeting, many expect Usman to face a much tougher test when the two share the Octagon again.

With that in mind, Edwards believes the champion will avoid exchanging on the feet and return to his wrestling roots for their rematch, which has been largely left in the back-pocket in his last three defenses.

“He [Kamaru Usman] has definitely fell in love with his hands. He definitely believes in them,” Edwards told ESPN MMA. “He’s called out Canelo. He truly believes that he’s some sick striker so fair play to him, but I know that when we fight, I think he’ll be shooting for his takedowns. I don’t think it will be a striking match. I think it will be more wrestler versus striker match but I’m looking forward to it.” (h/t Sportskeeda)

Usman Gives Edwards Something To Think About

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Usman responded to his next challenger’s comments. “The Nigerian Nightmare” suggested that if wrestling is what Edwards expects, he’s happy to oblige and “beat his face” on the canvas.

Given his tone, it’s safe to assume Usman is happy for “Rocky” to underrate his striking ahead of their clash.

“He said if I step in there with him, I won’t be striking the way that I am now. So I’ll oblige,” said Usman. “I give it to you. I will not strike. I am coming in to wrestle. I’m going to take him down, I’m going to beat on his face until he quits. So don’t expect me to strike—at all. I’m going to wrestle.

“Don’t expect me to strike, Leon. Since I’m not a good striker, don’t expect me to strike. I’m coming to take him down, and I’m gonna beat his face in.”

At UFC 261 last April, Usman brutally knocked out Masvidal in their rematch. In their first clash, “The Nigerian Nightmare” employed a wrestling-heavy approach. With that in mind, many have pointed out that Masvidal’s focus on defending any takedown attempts in their rematch may have left him open for the fight-ending shot up top.

Given how that played out, Edwards would certainly be wise to take Usman’s comments with a pinch of salt.

While his work with Trevor Wittman and impressive striking development means we’ll likely see Usman willing to trade with the Englishman, Edwards is certainly a different beast on the feet to the champ’s latest opponent.

With that said, we can expect to see Usman mixing up his attack more so than he did when he shared the Octagon with Covington last November. But after seeing Edwards dazed from a late punch against Diaz last June, he’ll certainly fancy his chances of finding the KO shot.

Do you think Kamaru Usman could hang with Leon Edwards in a five-round striking battle?

Continue Reading Usman To Edwards: You’re Right, I Won’t Strike With You, I’ll Only Wrestle at MMA News.

Usman To Edwards: You’re Right, I Won’t Strike With You, I’ll Only Wrestle

UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has responded to Leon Edwards’ suggestion that he won’t be as willing to strike with the Englishman as he has been in recent fights. Since dethroning Tyron Woodley in 2019, Usman has successfully defended the title five times and established himself as a contender for GOAT status at 170 pounds….

Continue Reading Usman To Edwards: You’re Right, I Won’t Strike With You, I’ll Only Wrestle at MMA News.

UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman has responded to Leon Edwards’ suggestion that he won’t be as willing to strike with the Englishman as he has been in recent fights.

Since dethroning Tyron Woodley in 2019, Usman has successfully defended the title five times and established himself as a contender for GOAT status at 170 pounds. Having brushed aside two challenges apiece from Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal, as well as one from former teammate Gilbert Burns, the list of fresh contenders certainly thinning.

And next up for the champ appears to be another rematch. Earlier this year, UFC President Dana White confirmed that Edwards is set to get his long-awaited title shot in the summer.

The pair first collided in 2015, where Usman emerged victorious on the scorecards. Since that defeat, Edwards has gone unbeaten in 10 bouts, defeating the likes of Nate Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos, Donald Cerrone, and Vicente Luque.

Given the Englishman’s development since their first meeting, many expect Usman to face a much tougher test when the two share the Octagon again.

With that in mind, Edwards believes the champion will avoid exchanging on the feet and return to his wrestling roots for their rematch, which has been largely left in the back-pocket in his last three defenses.

“He [Kamaru Usman] has definitely fell in love with his hands. He definitely believes in them,” Edwards told ESPN MMA. “He’s called out Canelo. He truly believes that he’s some sick striker so fair play to him, but I know that when we fight, I think he’ll be shooting for his takedowns. I don’t think it will be a striking match. I think it will be more wrestler versus striker match but I’m looking forward to it.” (h/t Sportskeeda)

Usman Gives Edwards Something To Think About

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Usman responded to his next challenger’s comments. “The Nigerian Nightmare” suggested that if wrestling is what Edwards expects, he’s happy to oblige and “beat his face” on the canvas.

Given his tone, it’s safe to assume Usman is happy for “Rocky” to underrate his striking ahead of their clash.

“He said if I step in there with him, I won’t be striking the way that I am now. So I’ll oblige,” said Usman. “I give it to you. I will not strike. I am coming in to wrestle. I’m going to take him down, I’m going to beat on his face until he quits. So don’t expect me to strike—at all. I’m going to wrestle.

“Don’t expect me to strike, Leon. Since I’m not a good striker, don’t expect me to strike. I’m coming to take him down, and I’m gonna beat his face in.”

At UFC 261 last April, Usman brutally knocked out Masvidal in their rematch. In their first clash, “The Nigerian Nightmare” employed a wrestling-heavy approach. With that in mind, many have pointed out that Masvidal’s focus on defending any takedown attempts in their rematch may have left him open for the fight-ending shot up top.

Given how that played out, Edwards would certainly be wise to take Usman’s comments with a pinch of salt.

While his work with Trevor Wittman and impressive striking development means we’ll likely see Usman willing to trade with the Englishman, Edwards is certainly a different beast on the feet to the champ’s latest opponent.

With that said, we can expect to see Usman mixing up his attack more so than he did when he shared the Octagon with Covington last November. But after seeing Edwards dazed from a late punch against Diaz last June, he’ll certainly fancy his chances of finding the KO shot.

Do you think Kamaru Usman could hang with Leon Edwards in a five-round striking battle?

Continue Reading Usman To Edwards: You’re Right, I Won’t Strike With You, I’ll Only Wrestle at MMA News.