UFC welterweight Leon Edwards will face his rival Kamaru Usman in the main event at UFC 278. Photo: Adam Hagy – USA TODAY Sports
At the UFC 278 media day, welterweight contender Leon Edwards seemed to have had enough of champion Kamaru Usman’s ideas of going up to light heavyweight or box superstar Canelo Alvarez.
“He’s talking about everything apart from this fight,” Edwards said. “He’s talking about going up to 205, fighting Canelo, doing everything apart from the fight. I am solely focused on becoming a world champion and if he thinks I’m gonna be like the first fight, he’s already lost the fight. I’ve erased that fight out of my mind a long time ago. And if he thinks it’s the same kid he’s gonna fight then we’ll see Saturday night.”
Even though the No. 2-ranked contender considers himself to be one of the absolute best strikers in the welterweight division, he has no illusions that he could be a boxer like Canelo in the ring.
“I know I can’t beat Canelo in a boxing match, I’m not deluded,” Leon Edwards said. “This guy’s deluded. He cannot beat Canelo. I know it’s a payday thing but boxing-for-boxing, he cannot beat Canelo. MMA? Yeah, he will win. Same, MMA, I beat Canelo. For a pure boxing match in the square, he would probably win.”