Most fighters would consider capturing a UFC title, and knocking the world no.1 pound-for-pound fighter out cold in order to do so, a career highlight. Leon Edwards, freshly minted UFC welterweight champion, felt that UFC 278 was one of his “worst performances,” as the English fighter revealed at the post-fight press conference.
““Going into it, I knew it was going to be a tough fight. I said it all week. But I believe I was the better man – but even though it was one my worst performances, it is what it is, I got a clean finish.
Leon Edwards Declares Title-Winning Knockout “One Of My Worst Performances”
My body just wasn’t reacting the way it was meant to react. I don’t know if it was the altitude or not, but when I was backstage watching the other guys fight on TV, everyone was getting tired and gassing out.
I was like, ‘Why is everyone getting tired?’ When I went out there after the first round I felt it. My body just wasn’t reacting.
It wasn’t a cardio issue, it was just like my body wasn’t reacting. But I stayed focused, my coaches spurred me on and kept reminding me, ‘You’re still in the fight, you are the best, and fight until the end.’ That combination I was drilling with my coaches, that left-cross head kick, and it landed perfectly.”
Although this marks the culmination of Edwards’ life’s work, he refused to take the moment for granted, and looks forward to the likely rematch. His last loss, to Kamaru Usman, was just a minor setback in a journey that has lasted years, and brought him to the top of the MMA world. “I knew going into it that more than likely we were going to have a rematch down the line.
Whether it’s next or down the line, we’re going to have a rematch. He’s been a long champion, they’re saying he’s the pound-for-pound best all week. He was saying that he was the pound-for-pound best. He believed it, and as I said in the octagon, the belt doesn’t belong to nobody.
It doesn’t belong to me or nobody. No man is meant to hold the belt for that long, and I said it all week that I felt like this was my moment. This is how it was meant to play out. All the layoff, all the COVID, that’s how it was meant to play out.”What did you think of Leon Edwards’ performance at UFC 278? Let us know in the comments.
