Leon Edwards made good on one of MMA’s all-time great “Rocky” stories when he became UFC welterweight champion in August 2022. Three years later, the Brit is back in the underdog role.
After suffering back-to-back losses for the first time in his 28-fight pro career, Edwards, 34, heads into UFC 322 this Saturday in dire need of a win against dangerous up-and-coming contender Carlos Prates. Perhaps unlike any fight prior, “Rocky” admits to having a chip on his shoulder, with plenty to prove.
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“I definitely want to — not really for the fans, it’s just more for the team, you know?” Edwards said on Monday’s “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “Go out and represent the team and just put all bad will where it was. That’s all it is for me.”
For Edwards, the road to 170-pound supremacy was a long and thankless one. After stringing together a 10-fight unbeaten streak to earn his title shot, Edwards capitalized with the head kick heard around the world in his rematch with Kamaru Usman. He successfully defended his championship twice before relinquishing the belt to Belal Muhammad in July 2024. Most recently, Edwards suffered the first submission loss of his career, getting choked out via a fourth-round guillotine against Sean Brady.
Although Edwards has a rational excuse for his loss to Brady — the American was a short-notice replacement for Edwards’ original opponent, Jack Della Maddalena — he doesn’t regret sticking to the fight as much as he does not adjusting his camp after the switch. But he believes a big win at UFC 322 should push him back in the right direction in a suddenly crowded welterweight division.
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“It’s a must-win for all fights, but this fight is definitely a must-win for my plans,” Edwards said. “I want to become a world champion [again]. This is one guy that’s in my way to get me back to my plan. This is the perfect fight for me.”
Edwards already sees the vision for what’s to come. Upset Prates in Madison Square Garden, then go silence former teammate Ian Machado Garry and reclaim gold afterward.
The stars will need to align for that plan though, starting with an Edwards win this weekend and Garry beating Muhammad on Nov. 22 at UFC Qatar.
“Go out there, take out Carlos. From there, I want to fight again. Then come back to the U.K. in March, April — I’d love to be on that card. Then fight for the world title in the summer. That’s my three-fight plan,” Edwards said.
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“If [Garry] wins, yeah [he’d ideally be next]. He’s one of the annoying welterweights in the division, so that would be good to go out there and smoke him in my hometown.”
Regarding the challenge Edwards faces against Prates, he’ll have to overcome a Brazilian finisher of the highest caliber. The Fighting Nerds representative has proven to be a fearsome knockout artist throughout his UFC career, providing Edwards with a style he hasn’t had to overcome in recent years. It’s been wrestler after wrestler since Edwards broke out against Nate Diaz at UFC 263 in June 2021.
The bout will also be Edwards’ first three-round fight since he defeated Gunnar Nelson in March 2019. Overall, “Rocky” is enjoying the refreshing elements to this fight week.
“I’m so excited for this fight. It’s been a long time since Diaz, as well, my last three-round fight,” Edwards said. “I’m excited to go out there and just mix it up and just get to work.
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“It’s two different fighting styles as well, fighting a wrestler from how you would fight a striker. So I get to show more skills, and it’s going to be a good one.
“A three-round fight, you want to try and sprint it,” he added. “That’s my mentality going in.”
