Leon Edwards Believes The UFC Are Attempting To Get Him Beat, Hold Him Back
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| Mandatory Credit: Mike Roach - Zuffa LLC |
Perennial UFC welterweight contender, Leon 'Rocky' Edwards has claimed that he believes the promotion is attempting to find a challenger to defeat him rather than grant him a title shot, despite the fact he has won nine of his last 10 Octagon outings.
Birmingham based contender, Edwards has managed to take nine victories in 10 appearances since his last professional loss against the reigning welterweight kingpin, Kamaru Usman, however, before he gets an opportunity to potentially challenge the Auchi native for gold in a re-run, he believes the promotion are attempting to get him beat.
"It's been six years since my last loss," Edwards told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. "Colby (Covington) got beat by the champion (Kamaru Usman), fought (Tyron) Woodley, the fight ended by injury, sat out for over a year and got a title shot. But when I go and get 10 fights in a row, now, 'He needs one more,' every time, it's one more. I think they're trying to get me beat, but I cannot lose. I truly believe that I will be the next world champion. They're trying to hold me back from it, but it's coming. I truly believe it."
"As soon as I left that Octagon (at UFC 263), I said, to my coaches, 'F*ck, I feel like they're (the UFC) are going to use that as an excuse," Edwards said.
Birmingham based contender, Edwards has managed to take nine victories in 10 appearances since his last professional loss against the reigning welterweight kingpin, Kamaru Usman, however, before he gets an opportunity to potentially challenge the Auchi native for gold in a re-run, he believes the promotion are attempting to get him beat.
Last featuring at UFC 263 in June, Edwards matched with veteran Stockton favorite, Nate Diaz in the first five round non-title, non-main event in the history of the promotion -- lodging a unanimous decision win over the one-time lightweight title challenger.
Hoping to secure his second Octagon walk of the year in either November or December, as well as noting his willingness to meet with rival, Jorge Masvidal if the UFC elect against offering him the victor of the upcoming Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington rematch, Edwards has claimed that the promotion is attempting to get him defeated before he can make a title siege.
"It's been six years since my last loss," Edwards told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. "Colby (Covington) got beat by the champion (Kamaru Usman), fought (Tyron) Woodley, the fight ended by injury, sat out for over a year and got a title shot. But when I go and get 10 fights in a row, now, 'He needs one more,' every time, it's one more. I think they're trying to get me beat, but I cannot lose. I truly believe that I will be the next world champion. They're trying to hold me back from it, but it's coming. I truly believe it."
Whilst joking with a tongue-in-cheek comment, Edwards recalled a catchphrase coined recently by former interim lightweight titleholder, Tony Ferguson, claiming that he would need "Dana White privilege" in order to score his first title shot, and believes the promotion would try and attempt to use the aforenoted Diaz's final minute rally in June as an excuse for not granting him a title opportunity.
"As soon as I left that Octagon (at UFC 263), I said, to my coaches, 'F*ck, I feel like they're (the UFC) are going to use that as an excuse," Edwards said.
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