Leon Edwards is completely focused on his upcoming fight against Sean Brady at UFC London this Saturday. However, he also knows that a strong victory could significantly boost his chances for a title opportunity.
This fight marks Edwards` return to the Octagon since his defeat to Belal Muhammad last July. He`s highly motivated to compete for the welterweight title again. Edwards, 33, mentioned that the unusual fight time in their previous match – around 5 a.m. in England – along with some minor injuries, prevented him from performing at his peak.
Therefore, Edwards is determined to dominate Brady decisively. He wants to earn a title shot as quickly as possible.
“My focus is definitely on getting a title shot,” Edwards stated to MMA Fighting. “Right now, my concentration is on Sean Brady this weekend. After that, it`s all about the title. That’s my goal.”
Edwards was originally scheduled to face Jack Della Maddalena this Saturday. However, Della Maddalena was chosen to fight Muhammad for the title instead, after Shavkat Rakhmonov, a top welterweight contender, had to withdraw due to an injury.
The timeline for Rakhmonov`s return is unclear. Edwards understands that timing and seizing opportunities are crucial in the UFC. If he defeats Brady impressively, he believes he can move ahead in the title contender rankings.
“I really feel like that`s where I stand,” Edwards said. “I believe everything is falling into place. It feels like fate is aligning for me to reclaim my belt. But it all begins on Saturday night. I need to perform well and then we`ll see what happens next.”
Edwards is not making any plans beyond the Brady fight. Assuming he wins, he is willing to remain ready for a potential fight in May, should Della Maddalena encounter any issues.
“You never know what can happen,” Edwards said. “Injuries are common, things change. It’s a volatile sport, so staying prepared is key to see what unfolds.”
Because Rakhmonov was unable to fight in May, Edwards recognizes a genuine opportunity to surpass him in contention if he performs strongly against Brady. Although Rakhmonov receiving a title shot wasn`t controversial, his recent victory against Ian Machado Garry was closer than many anticipated. Prior to that fight, Rakhmonov had a perfect finishing record, including six consecutive wins in the UFC.
He couldn`t finish Garry, who proved to be a tough opponent throughout the five rounds. Garry even came close to a late finish by taking Rakhmonov`s back and attempting submissions.
Edwards is known for accepting any challenge and was not avoiding a fight with Rakhmonov. However, the Garry fight did give him some insights into a potential matchup between them.
“From what I recall, the Rakhmonov versus Garry fight wasn`t as thrilling as I expected,” Edwards commented. “Given how highly Shavkat was being hyped as this unbeatable force in the division, it turned out to be just an average fight. It wasn`t the exciting, high-action fight everyone predicted.”
“I know they trained together previously, which might explain why they were more cautious of each other`s fighting styles. But there are definitely weaknesses in both Shavkat`s and Ian`s games, which was evident in that fight.”
While his primary goal is to regain the title or face other top contenders, Edwards is prioritizing his focus solely on Brady.
He hopes Brady will be ready for a real fight because Edwards believes their matchup is the perfect chance to deliver an impressive finish in front of his home crowd.
“I anticipate Sean will engage,” Edwards said. “He`ll provide opportunities for a finish, and that`s what I`m aiming for. I`m looking to go out there, finish him, and prove to everyone that I am still the best welterweight in the division.”
“Based on his fighting style, I believe there will be many openings for me to hurt him, and I`m excited for it.”
Wesley Dunham