Din Thomas, who was in Sean Brady`s corner, suggests that Leon Edwards may not have the inherent grit of a true fighter.
Following Edwards`s defeat to Sean Brady at UFC London, Thomas shared his observations. Brady dominated the fight, ultimately securing a mounted guillotine choke submission in the fourth round. However, Thomas indicated that the outcome was apparent even earlier, specifically when Edwards attempted a takedown in the third round.
On Anthony Smith’s podcast, Thomas recounted his reaction to Edwards’s takedown attempt: “When he did that, I got quiet and I looked at John Marquez, the head coach, and said, ‘Did he just try to take Sean down?’” He explained that at that moment, he and the coaching team recognized a shift in Edwards`s approach, suggesting a lack of will to continue the fight on his feet. Thomas stated, “When Leon shot that takedown, he showed his hand that he did not want to be there anymore and that was a wrap. I couldn’t believe it.”
This loss marks Edwards`s first career losing streak, significantly impacting his position in title discussions. Thomas believes these defeats highlight a crucial aspect of Edwards`s fighting persona: a potential absence of true fighter`s heart.
Thomas clarified, “I don’t want this to be disrespectful toward Leon, because I still believe that skill for skill, his body type and all that, that he was a great champion. He’s a great fighter. He’s still top-five material. But I just don’t think that Leon is, in his heart, a real true fighter.”
He contrasted Edwards with fighters like Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, known for their unwavering fighting spirit. Thomas perceives Edwards as more of an athlete and performer, exceptionally skilled but possibly lacking the deep-seated fighting instinct in crucial moments. Despite this, Thomas acknowledges Edwards`s past success, stating, “despite not being a true fighter, he was still that good. He was still that good and still able to beat everybody.”
Thomas`s assessment echoes past observations, including during Edwards`s second fight with Kamaru Usman where he noted Edwards`s apparent mental defeat before a comeback knockout. This time, without a similar turnaround, Thomas believes his perspective resonates even within Edwards`s own team.
“I think they even recognize that Leon at times is not a true fighter at heart,” Thomas concluded. “And they want him to be, that’s why they’re protective of him. That’s why the coach is like, “Come on, son! Don’t let him bully you!’ Because they know that if he had a little bit more grit in him and had the ability to chew iron, that he would probably still be world champ.” Thomas also related to Edwards`s situation from personal experience, admitting, “And to be fair, I didn’t have it either. This is how I know what it looks like because I didn’t have it either. When things got hard for me, I resorted to pulling guard, too. I resorted to shooting takedowns and pulling guard, so I know what it looks like.”
Marcus Blakely