Leon Edwards will return greater than ever, vows brother

Although the UFC moves ahead with its battle plan and contenders vie for situation in just about every bodyweight class, a person guy has located himself on the outdoors, looking in.

Welterweight contender Leon Edwards is riding an eight-combat earn streak at 170 lbs and hasn’t missing a struggle because his selection defeat to present winner Kamaru Usman back in December 2015.

Edwards’ form has him appropriate in the combine at the sharp finish of the UFC’s 170-pound division, but when his best contender colleagues have been obtaining fights, the Brit has been stuck on the sidelines, with travel limits thanks to COVID-19 forcing him out of a battle with Tyron Woodley in March. Because then, while his rivals have returned to motion, he has not been equipped to get a struggle booked.

It is been a challenging time for Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC), as his brother, Bellator middleweight Fabian Edwards, discussed to MMA Junkie the disheartening character of the past couple of months.

“You simply cannot even set it into words, to be genuine,” he reported. “It’s very challenging at the second, but me and the rest of the coaches are stressing to him you have to use this time to degree up and come back again a greater fighter and a much better fighter.”

Leon’s eight-struggle successful streak involves victories above the likes of Vicente Luque, Donald Cerrone, Gunnar Nelson and, most not too long ago, previous UFC light-weight winner Rafael dos Anjos. Specified his prolonged streak, moreover a ready-created rematch narrative with the recent champion, hopes were large that Edwards may possibly be capable to problem for the welterweight title in 2020. But the arrival of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic pumped the brakes on these hopes, and now Edwards is just looking at receiving again into the cage versus a notable opponent.

“He’s been instruction, but it’s gotten to the issue wherever I imagine he’ll either consider a huge name for the sake of having a huge title, or a best opponent,” stated Fabian.

“You have to remain positive, because there is practically nothing you can actually do. When it’s been taken out of your handle you can not essentially do everything. You just have to just adapt, and which is what he’s executing. He’s adapting and he’s performing tricky. It’s just a irritating circumstance.”