Leon Edwards expects to be fighting Kamaru Usman soon.
The UFC welterweight champion recently revealed he’s training for a trilogy rematch with Usman (20-2 MMA, 15-1 UFC) for UFC 286 in London on March 18. Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) is confident the fight will go down on that date and on his side of the world – even despite recent rumors speculating Usman is dealing with a hand injury.
“Yeah, 100 percent (I’m fighting Usman at UFC 286),” Edwards told Michael Bisping in a recent interview. “That’s what I’ve been told. Me and my team spoke to the UFC last week, and they said the fight is on.
“It’s all the training for the fight, so I was like, ‘Perfect.’ I’m aiming toward that, and if something changes in the meantime, then we’ll go from there. But now I’m focused on that trilogy against Usman in London.”
The promotion has yet to announce the bout and recently Usman was seen wearing a hand cast at a regional MMA event, sparking doubt on the trilogy happening on the London card in March. Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, assured the public amid speculation that Usman is fine and that the trilogy bout is on.
The two fought in the UFC 278 main event in Salt Lake City in August 2022, and Edwards scored MMA Junkie’s 2022 Knockout of the Year. His finish came with about a minute left in a five-round fight he was about to lose on the scorecards.
Edwards thinks the fight will be different this time around, but with the same end result. He expects to dominate the action from start to finish.
“He’ll be a totally different fighter – I’ve said it and my coaches have said it,” Edwards said. “I knew going into the fight that altitude was going to play a part, but I didn’t know it was going to be that big of a part. I think now, I’ve never lost in the U.K. – amateur or pro. So I’m excited to fight in front of my friends and family. I think it’s going to be a totally different fight. I think if he goes in there thinking it’s going to be the same fight, he’s in for a rude awakening.”