Prior to UFC 304 that took place on July 27, 2024, Leon “Rocky” Edwards was on a legendary MMA run. The British mixed martial artist was on a 13-fight unbeaten streak that included 2 title defenses. One of which was the legendary headkick KO of the fabled Kamaru Usman. Now, just 4 months later it seems as if Leon Edwards has lost all the respect that he had in the UFC. And if that statement is not true, it sure feels true.
Because how does it make sense to not have Leon Edwards fight for the title in a rematch against Belal Muhammad, as a chance to reclaim the belt that he lost in UFC 304. After all, he does deserve a rematch after the kind of star he has been in the Welterweight Division since 2016, when his win streak started.
Instead, Belal Muhammad was paired with Shavkhat Rakhmonov and scheduled to fight in the Main Event for UFC 310 on December 8, 2024. But since the announcement of that matchup, a lot has changed. The current Welterweight Champion, Belal “Remember The Name” Muhammad has withdrawn from the fight, and the fight was moved from the Main event to the Co-Main event with Ian Garry being Belal’s replacement.
But the event which outlines just how disrespectful UFC is towards Leon Edwards is how the fight between the two undefeated Welterweight’s is being labelled. The Nomad’s matchup against The Future is being labelled as a Welterweight Title Eliminator, basically meaning that the winner of this matchup will most likely be next in line for a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship.
It was bad enough that “Rocky” was not given the opportunity to a direct rematch for the belt. But the fact that he wasn’t even considered by the UFC to fight in the Welterweight Title Eliminator, and instead Ian Machado Garry was chosen, tells you just how much the British fighter is being disrespected.
Instead, it has been confirmed by the Ex-UFC Champ that he will be headlining a UFC Fight-Night in London in 2025. Another low for the former Welterweight Champion.
Do you think Leon Edwards will ever bounce back to the heights he had once achieved? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.
