“Spiderman” met “Rocky” at UFC 286! Yes, fans read it right as Marvel actor Tom Holland came out to watch the UFC event in London, where he met Leon Edwards. “Rocky” is Leon’s nickname and his career so far has lived up to the nickname. Just like the fictional boxing folk hero Rock Balboa, Leon Edwards has also faced many adversities in his career and overcame them all!
After winning the welterweight strap against Kamaru Usman with a stunning head kick at UFC 278, it was Leon’s chance to show the world that the result was not a fluke. He did so in an amazing manner in his home country, England. UFC 286 took place in the O2 Arena and the crowd was lively for the main event. Every time Leon landed any punches, kicks, or even stuffed a takedown, the fans went insane.
Leon ultimately won even with a point deduction. More impressively, he completely neutralized Usman’s wrestling and conceded only 4 out of an attempted 15 takedowns. Even when the bout hit the ground, Leon made Usman’s wrestling look very ordinary.
It looks like Tom Holland was the same as everybody else in the crowd. He was really happy to see his fellow countryman beat one of the best active fighters in the UFC right now. After the bout, as Tom was addressing the media when Leon ran into him and the two had a brief conversation. While the Spiderman actor introduced Leon to his family, Leon also seemed happy to see Tom Holland and asked for a picture.
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During their conversation, Tom told Edwards, “You blew me away!” In reply, Edwards added that he was confident about winning the bout as the UK fans were behind him. Before parting ways, Tom once again congratulated Leon on the spectacular win. But Tom was not the only Hollywood star present for the event. Amongst many celebrities, Oscar-winner Jared Leto was also in the O2 Arena.
What is next for Leon Edwards after UFC 286?
Without a doubt, this was the best win of Leon Edwards’ career so far. Although he has won over Usman in 2022 as well, this win is far more memorable as there is no room for doubt this time around. With this win, Leon’s MMA record improves to 21-3. He is also unbeaten in his last 12 fights in the promotion. But there will not be much time for Leon to celebrate as he already has his next opponent in line.
Colby Covington, who weighed in ahead of UFC 286 as the backup fighter, will be Leon’s next title challenger. UFC President Dana White confirmed it in the post-fight press conference. However, he did not provide the proper timeline for when the fans can expect to see Leon Edwards back in action against the former 2-time welterweight title challenger.
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