'There's Nothing To Be Afraid Of Anymore'
03/19/2025 08:00 PM
"Rocky" is planning to have a big performance.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight champion Leon Edwardsreturns to action against No. 5 rankedSean Brady in the main event of UFC London this weekend (Sat., March 22, 2025) from inside The O2 Arena in London, England.
The last time Edwards was in action was his disappointing loss to Belal Muhammadwhere he lost his title. At the time, he was on a very long winning streak and had not tasted defeat in 10 long years, and he was on a mission to pass George St. Pierre for the second longest win streak in UFC Welterweight division history (12).
However, now that his strap is gone and his eight-fight winning streak is over, "Rocky" feels he can fight free without pressure.
"I can go out there and be free. Before, when I hadn't lost in 10 years, I didn't want to lose [because I'd miss out on a title shot] and I was trying to break this record of GSP," Edwards told TNT Sports. "I was putting so much pressure on myself because I didn't want to lose a fight because of GSP's record. But I've lost now, and now I can go out there and be young 'Rocky.'"
"I'm seasoned now. I feel like I've been through it all and had it all," Edwards added. "There's nothing to be scared of, right? There's nothing to be scared of; the what-ifs are no longer there. I know I can be world champion; I've done it before. I've cemented the belief in myself. I've been champion, defended it, and I can do it again."
In a sport where everyone tends to judge a fighter on their last performance, Edwards plans on reminding everyone that he is still the No. 1 ranked Welterweight.
"I need to go out there and take care of Sean; what I'll say on the microphone, obviously, is a title shot straight away and just let the world know, 'You must've forgotten who I am.'"
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC London fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ "Prelims" undercard bouts at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET.
To checkout the latest and greatest UFC London news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here.
