A former UFC title challenger believes that ‘Rocky’ still has a lot to give if he can really the most out of the next few years.
Leon Edwards was submitted by Sean Brady this past weekend in a one-sided loss on home soil that has led to questions of what’s next for the Brit.
Whilst a former rival of his advised Edwards to take some time off, others have spoken about the prospect of him moving up a weight class for a fresh start.
Edwards has also received criticism in regards to his fighting spirit and mentality after being completely shut out by Brady on March 22.
Whilst he agrees that something needs to change, Dan Hardy believes that the former welterweight champion can still end his career on a high.
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Dan Hardy says Leon Edwards should learn from Robbie Lawler who bowed out in style
In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, former UFC welterweight Dan Hardy gave his thoughts on what should be next for Leon Edwards.
He doesn’t believe that this loss means anything drastic like the end of the Brit’s time at the top but he did highlight what appears to be missing in his recent outings.
“He’s made that climb now. He’s always gonna have that status as a former UFC champion and that always keeps him in conversation for big fights. The reality as well is Leon’s stayed very healthy throughout his career.
“He’s not taken as much wear and tear as some of the other guys in the division perhaps. I still feel like he’s got some time but the reality is, I think for all the technical ability that he’s got, all of the physical attributes, the speed, the reach, the height and everything, the thing that he needs to uncover in himself is the will to chase it.”
When looking at Edwards’ career and how he can turn things around, Hardy pointed to a UFC Hall of Famer who produced one of the best retirements in the history of the sport.
‘The Outlaw’ wants to see ‘Rocky’ really focus in on making the best out of his final years inside the Octagon so that he can fight with less pressure on his shoulders.
Whilst his form after losing the welterweight title in 2016 wasn’t great, Robbie Lawler still put on some good fights during his final years before neatly wrapping his career in a bow with a first-round finish over Niko Price at UFC 290.
Hardy pointed to ‘Ruthless’, who enters the Modern wing of the Hall of Fame this year, as an example that Edwards can follow in the coming years to enjoy the time that he has left.
“I feel like Leon’s got a bit more fight left in him and maybe if he goes, ‘Right, we’ve got 5-6 fights left in my career, I’ve got nothing to lose, I’ve been a UFC champion. Let’s go out guns blazing. Let’s leave everybody with a this guy and Robbie Lawler would’ve been an awesome fight.’ You know what I mean? Because Robbie Lawler is one of those guys that went out with a bang in my opinion.
“He really pushed it towards the end of his career and had a lot of exciting fights and maybe Leon was just a bit too precious in the build up to the title. Maybe now it just doesn’t matter as much and now he can really start to open up because he’s a lethal fighter, he’s just got to want to enjoy putting people away and I know that’s an odd thing to say but you can sense it in a fighter when they want to hurt somebody and when they don’t and wherever that motivation comes from, that’s what Leon needs now.”
Leon Edwards should push for the settlement of a grudge
If Leon Edwards is going to continue getting big fights, he needs a matchup that will get fans excited about watching him compete again.
His long-running feud with Jorge Masvidal could be exactly that with ‘Gamebred’ planning a return to the Octagon.
The former BMF champion hasn’t fought in two years and he’s without a win in his last four outings but this fight would still be big because of their history.
At one point in time, it felt like a step back for Edwards but now it could be the right contest to put him back on track to some degree.