The UFC’s welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, invited former Manchester United and England soccer star Rio Ferdinand into his gym, Team Renegade, for a taster of what it’s like training as a mixed martial arts fighter. After learning some techniques, Ferdinand asked Edwards about his upcoming fight against Colby Covington at UFC 296 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, December 16.
Edwards says that people have been telling him that he needs to be aware of Covington’s cardio going into the fight; however, the UFC welterweight doesn’t seem too concerned about others’ opinions, as he believes his challenger has faced fighters deemed to be ‘over the hill.’
‘I’m excited to go out there; shut him up. He’s a big talker, so I’m going to go out there, shut him up, and continue my reign”- said Edwards.
The trash-talking nature of Colby Covington acts as fuel for Edwards to get up and train. He never wants to lose a fight, of course, but when you’re competing against somebody you’re not too keen on from a personal standpoint, the desire to win becomes even greater.
Known for displaying a composed demeanor, Edwards admitted that he usually gets nervous around one hour before a fight when he’s in the locker room waiting to make the walk to the cage. The nerves certainly weren’t on display in his last performance, a rubber match against Kamaru Usman in which Edwards defended his UFC title for the first time.
Ferdinand asked what’s next for the UFC Welterweight Champion should he defeat Colby Covington at UFC 296. Could a move up to 185lb be on the horizon? Edwards confirmed that his future could be in the middleweight division as he has his eyes on securing another title. He intended to become a UFC champion in two weight classes. If he’s successful, Edwards would become just the 9th person in UFC history to win titles in two different divisions.
”One hundred percent. I walk around quite big anyway, you know what I mean? I always wanted to move up, but I was friends with Israel Adesanya. I know he’s taken a back step a little bit. Why not move up and try and be great, you know? I’ve already achieved one of my goals, which is becoming the welterweight world champion; why not?”
Rio Ferdinand was speaking to Leon Edwards as part of a segment for TNT Sports in the UK. UFC 296 will be available via their box office channel on the night of Saturday, December 16.
Discussion about this post