UFC Champion Leon Edwards on Defending His Belt on Home Turf
UFC welterweight champion Leon "Rocky" Edwards is gearing up to defend his title for the third time in a highly anticipated rematch against Belal Muhammad. The Birmingham native will headline UFC 304 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on July 28.
With each title defence, pressure mounts, but a calm and collected Leon Edwards told Men's Health he has nothing to worry about ahead of his grudge match against Muhammad.
'I've kind of got used to it now,' admits Edwards. 'This is my third title defence and just also being at home as well makes it even more exciting for me. You know, I've never lost a fight at home. So I'm excited to go out there and perform.'
Edwards previously fought Muhammed at UFC Fight Night 187 in Las Vegas, which ended in a 'no contest' after an accidental eye poke which left Muhammad unable to continue.
'I feel like [fighting on home soil] helps my confidence a lot,' says Edwards. 'I like being around my friends and my family, especially fight week. So to be able to have them all there as normal. Like when I'm fighting in Vegas, not everyone can come, you know? So to be just an hour away from my house and have all my friends and everyone there, I think it's extra motivation.'
This time Edwards is confident that he will have the edge over Muhammed. 'It's just about my experience, you know. I fight at a high level, and have done for a long time now. And going off the back to back camps, I fought Usman twice, and then Colby, and then him, and they're all wrestlers, you know? So I feel like going off the back of those camps has helped me to go into this camp. You know how to approach it and the game plan.'
Edwards addressed rumours about moving up a weight class, confirming his goal of becoming a double champion. He said, 'I wanna become double champ. I love to move up. I wanna defend my belt as many times as possible first and then look to move up. I wanna go down one of the best welterweights to ever do it. So if I had to do that, you need to get a second belt and beat all the records, you know?
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