Leon Edwards warns Kamaru Usman he’s going to ‘knock him out AGAIN’ in their welterweight title fight at UFC 286… as ‘Rocky’ insists he’s ‘improved’ since claiming the belt in their fight on last year
Leon Edwards has warned Kamaru Usman that he will repeat the trick of finishing him off in spectacular style at UFC 286 on Saturday.
‘Rocky’ pulled victory from the jaws of defeat to become the UFC’s second British Champion last year, knocking out the former champion with an instantly iconic head kick.
Ahead of Saturday’s big main event at London’s O2 Arena, Edwards said: “I think if you get knocked out like that, you’ve got to find something.”
‘He needs to get his confidence back. He thought that he could never be knocked down, never hurt and that he has to find something to hold on to.
‘He was winning the fight, but who cares? He falls when you are knocked unconscious, with a shot to the head. That’s all that matters. When all is said and done, winners win. Even on my worst day, I still knocked you out.
Leon Edwards will defend his UFC welterweight title for the first time on Saturday
Edwards delivered Kamaru Usman (left) a brutal KO in August of last year to claim the UFC title
The Birmingham fighter continued: “I’m going to make sure this is an MMA fight, being back home, using the energy of the crowd to pump me up, just go out there and show it off.”
‘I just want to show my skills. I have never lost in the UK and I get energy from being around my friends and family.
He will have strong foreleg strikes and intense fighting, the same as in all fights. But even on my worst day, she was tired but he couldn’t hurt me, it was more of a fatigue issue and I caught everything in my gloves.
“I’m sure he’s improved, but so have I. I’ll be attacking submissions, trying to knock him out, and I can do all of that.”
And Edwards believes that Usman, regarded as one of the greatest welterweights of all time, has had his time in the sun and will be sent packing in their trilogy fight, with the scores closing at 1-1.
He added: ‘He’s 36 years old, he’s been in some very tough fights. He thought he could never be defeated and then he turned on like that, that’s a mental thing for him to deal with now.
“He can pretend he doesn’t care, say he’s glad he got knocked out and the pressure to be champion is too strong, but that doesn’t make any sense to me.” We’ll find out on Saturday night and I’ll try to knock him out again.
Edwards achieved his life’s ambition by claiming the title last year and has now had to reassess his goals. He is a hero in his hometown of Erdington and embraces the hero worship of young people and fans across the UK.
“It’s surreal to see murals in Erdington, having done so much on those very streets,” he said. ‘It’s great to see how proud I’ve made Birmingham and the UK. A bunch of kids run up and say ‘pound for pound, headshot, dead’.
Of course, those now-timeless six words roared into the microphone, becoming golden viral material and helping elevate ‘Rocky’ to a new level of stardom.
Edwards is currently riding an 11-fight winning streak heading into Saturday’s fight at the 02 Arena.
Usman was undefeated in the UFC before receiving the brutal KO loss to Edwards.
Edwards has enjoyed the fruits of her labor without splurging too much, though her favorite purchase has been preparing a Caribbean take-out meal for her mother, after recalling her saying having one was a childhood dream.
‘Opening a restaurant for my mom, a Caribbean takeaway, that was the best. I remember her saying she wanted to open it one day. That’s the only thing I’ve done since I became champion.
‘I feel like I want to be one of the best welterweights to do it. My first goal when I was 17 years old was to become a champion and I have achieved it.
“I changed that goal now, I want to be one of the best in history, change my family’s life and everything that comes with it.”