SUMMARY
- Edwards became the UFC Welterweight Champion after dethroning one of the most dominant fighters, Kamaru Usman, at UFC 278.
- The Welterweight Champion was recently presented at the local game in Birmingham, England.
Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards is the current UFC Welterweight Champion and No. 4 pound-for-pound fighter. The first Jamaican-born champion in UFC history made his debut at UFC Fight Night 56, losing via decision to Cláudio Silva. The Welterweight bounced back to win 14 of his next 16 fights, including one draw and only one loss.
Edwards became the UFC Welterweight Champion after dethroning the former champion and one of the most dominant fighters, Kamaru Usman, at UFC 278. Going in as an underdog, the British resident pulled it out of the fire with an iconic leg kick in the final round. The fight was awarded Knockout of the Year by ESPN, the World MMA Awards, and MMA Junkie.
“I will defend my belt in April at UFC 300 in Vegas again, then hopefully in the summertime get a fight back home in Birmingham at Villa Park. I’m in talks with the UFC, so hopefully we can get it done.” -Leon Edwards #UFC #UFC300 #MMA pic.twitter.com/IdwKzIhjSH
— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) December 31, 2023
The Welterweight Champion was recently presented at the local game in Birmingham, England. Talking with the broadcasting team, Edwards revealed his plans for 2024 by sharing, “I will defend my belt in April at UFC 300 in Vegas again, then hopefully in the summertime get a fight back home in Birmingham at Villa Park. I’m in talks with the UFC, so hopefully we can get it done”.
Although no confirmation has been made from the side of UFC President Dana White, Leon is said to be in conversation for the mega event. No opponent has yet been revealed, although fans can mostly expect it to be against welterweights Belal Muhammad or Shavkat Rakhmonov. Both fighters are on a winning streak and have shown a willingness to compete for the title.
What’s next for Leon Edwards?
Rumors were floating after Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev showed interest in competing for Welterweight Gold, moving up a division. The Russian fighter was keen to achieve double champ status and seemed like a tough opponent in a stylistic matchup against the Jamaican. These rumors were shut down by the UFC, with contenders such as Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira in line.
Another potential fight on the table would be Edwards chasing the double Championship belt himself and going for the Middleweight Championship later in 2024. This would be subjective to his next title defenses and also the Middleweight Championship already being on the line at UFC 297, with Sean Strickland facing challenger Dricus du Plessis and making his first title defense.
Although all three champions involved are yet to make a significant number of title defenses in their division and should be more likely to compete for the same. Edwards last competed at UFC 296 against Colby Covington winning via decision making his second title defense. Islam Makhachev too made his second title defense against Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294.