If there’s anyone who knows about how dangerous Leon Edwards can be, it’s former foe and welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
We’re now only a few weeks away from witnessing the UFC’s long-awaited return to Manchester, England, for a PPV card topped by two enormous title fight rematches; one of which includes Leon Edwards and the welterweight strap.
As fans and pundits alike scramble to find any additional piece of insight that they can, there’s one former opponent who is banking on a more dangerous, aggressive ‘Rocky’ turning up at the Co-op Arena.
Kamaru Usman wants to see ‘killer’ Leon Edwards return in Manchester
Speaking via the ESPN MMA post-show after UFC Denver came to an end, former welterweight champion and pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman was asked about the upcoming title fight in Manchester.
Whilst the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ was both supportive and complementary towards his former rival, he did also note that this remains a difficult fight to call given how neither fighter has fought so far in 2024.
“I like Leon being a champion, I think he definitely has real skills but as a fan now, I’m frustrated as a fan because this fight should have happened already.
“It’s been such a long time but I’m glad that we were finally about to get the fight and for Leon to actually go in there and prove to people that he is high up on that pound-for-pound list because you know, I got my reservations on the order of that list.”
Usman commented that Edwards has grown into the role as a UFC champion but added that after already securing 10 wins in the promotion via decision; he’s desperate to see ‘Rocky’ implement a more aggressive gameplan.
“I think it’s a good fight, I like the confident way in that Leon is carrying [himself], I think he understands the responsibility of being a champion, how you kind of have to train the mentality that you have to have.
“Just a little thing that I would like to see from him is that killer come out because if you know that you’re the top dog, you got to prove it to each and every contender who wants your spot.”
When asked what the level of his vested interest is in seeing his former foe defending the welterweight title versus Muhammad, Usman laughed as he teased: “Been there, bought the T-shirt, my important thing [right now] is just getting healthy and then I’ll worry about those guys later.”
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that Usman has noted that the recent schedule of both fighters is a point of contention for the upcoming welterweight title rematch.
Back when the UFC 304 main event was first announced, Usman explained via the Pound-4-Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo how he believes the pair had “pretty much been holding up the division,” as he dived into their strength of schedule – or lack thereof.
“The one thing that I don’t like about this is the layoff, the time that these guys are sitting [out]. This is why boxers are fighting every other month, they’re fighting [often] because that’s how you get into your groove, that’s how you elevate yourself to see if all the stuff that you’ve been working on can actually work.
“When you have these long layoffs and you get in there, your timing is a little bit off, you’re a little gun-shy sometimes and especially if you’re a champion when you have this long layoff – that mountain of defending starts to get heavier, and heavier, and heavier.”
Belal Muhammad’s last fight was a unanimous decision win over Gilbert Burns in May 2023, whereas Leon Edwards beat Colby Covington in December 2023 in his last contest.
Belal Muhammad looks shredded two weeks out from title rematch
Whilst it is true that Muhammad has been waiting for the title shot for well over a year, that isn’t to say that ‘Remember the Name’ hasn’t been putting in the work behind the scenes.
In fact, the surging contender looked absolutely shredded in a recent interview with The Schmo, teasing how he’s in the best shape of his life, heading into the single most important fight in his career.
“Honestly, there’s a sense of relief because it’s finally here, there’s no more waiting… There’s no more running from him, there’s no more excuses, there’s no more interviews, we’re going to meet in the cage and I’m going to show you guys what would have happened three years ago.
“I’m the best version of myself, if I fought him today then I would smash him, so in an hour I’m going to be a better version of myself, in two hours I’m going to be a better version of myself – give me another week, it’s going to be the best version this guy has ever seen.”
Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad headlines UFC 304, scheduled to go down live from the Co-op Arena in Manchester on Saturday, July 27.