When Leon Edwards defeated Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 to win the welterweight title, he reached his peak in mixed martial arts.
Edwards talked about his journey from the streets, where he was surrounded by poverty and struggle. Edwards previously said that he hopes his experience would inspire others, and he expressed a similar emotion after learning that he has been chosen to give a speech at Oxford University.
When sharing the moment on his social media, Leon Edwards wrote the following:
“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. Today I spoke at the prestigious Oxford University. My life didn’t lead me to education, but I’m working hard so that my family can have opportunities to learn and grow in places like this”
Leon Edwards triumphed over Kamaru Usman to successfully defend the welterweight championship at UFC 286. He won the match via majority decision, solidifying his position as the best welterweight in the promotion.
But Edwards is now faced with a dilemma, as the UFC appears to be pushing for him to face Colby Covington in his next bout. Edwards cited his own experience as a competitor who will engage in any bout in order to advance towards a shot at the title match.
Edwards believes that Covington has hand-picked his opponents and has turned down matches, something that doesn’t sit well with him.
In 2021 and 2022, Covington faced both Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal. Usman won against Covington by decision in round 5. However, Covington triumphed over Masvidal by unanimous decision.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Edwards said: “Colby has been uninjured, sitting on the sidelines [and] turning down fights for over a year. No body else has done that and earned a title shot doing it. That’s the ‘why not’.”
“I feel like if you believe you’re a champion, you should fight all the guys that have been offered to you… I took [an offer to fight] Khamzat [Chimaev] three times… He hasn’t earned his position…”