Leon Edwards plans to challenge for middleweight title in 2025: ‘My excitement is me getting another belt’

Leon Edwards has defied the chances since reaching Final Combating Championship’s (UFC) Welterweight title scene.

The 170-pound titleholder has been flawless contained in the Octagon for the previous 9 years. Edwards’ final loss got here in opposition to his eventual rival and the now-former champion, Kamaru Usman, by way of unanimous resolution in December 2015. “Rocky” made the right changes a few years later to knock off Usman in back-to-back battles in 2022 and 2023 earlier than his second profitable title protection in opposition to Colby Covington late final yr.

After UFC 302 this previous weekend (June 1, 2024), the Light-weight champion, Islam Makhachev, continued to precise his curiosity in difficult for Welterweight gold in some unspecified time in the future. The Brit likes the thought of the match up, he’s simply undecided the timing is correct to think about it.

“I welcome it,” Edwards advised Sky Sports activities of a Makhachev struggle. “I feel we each obtained work to do inside our division(s).

“He simply fought his first Light-weight protection in opposition to an precise Light-weight (Dustin Poirier),” he continued. “I really feel like he’s obtained a couple of extra Lightweights he’s gotta undergo first earlier than he may even take into consideration shifting up. But when we’re each happening these reigns, why not afterward sooner or later?

“It’s an enormous struggle,” Edwards concluded. “Really feel like I’ve obtained work to do inside my division first then the tremendous fights will come.”

Makhachev’s latest fifth spherical d’arce choke of Poirier (watch highlights) was his third profitable title protection. Edwards will look to safe the identical when he rematches Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 subsequent month (Sat., July 27, 2024).

In the end, the upcoming title struggle will start the potential plan Edwards has in thoughts for his personal dual-division championship hopes.

“I want to go up and problem for the Middleweight belt, that’s my purpose,” Edwards mentioned. “My pleasure is me getting one other belt. My plan was to go subsequent yr. Defend my belt twice this yr, that might be 4 defenses. Possibly yet one more [defense] subsequent yr, that’s 5 defenses. Then afterward within the yr, have an enormous Middleweight struggle. That’s six title fights. That’s my purpose. Two [defenses] this yr, one subsequent yr, then finish of subsequent yr transfer up.”