Surprisingly, after his title defense against Colby Covington at UFC 296 on December 16, reigning welterweight champion Leon Edwards is considering a move up to the middleweight class for a shot at the title. After shockingly defeating Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 to win the welterweight title, Edwards went on to defend it against Covington at UFC 286.
Edwards is thinking about his future in the welterweight class as a result of Dana White’s choice to give Covington the chance to challenge Belal Muhammad for the title. Edwards stated he had no interest in staying at 170 pounds if he prevails in Covington’s title defense. Instead, he plans to challenge for the middleweight title in his upcoming fight and become a double champion.
Edwards stated in a Sky Sports interview that he plans to advance to the middleweight class following UFC 296 and target the victor of Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis, the upcoming UFC 297 title fight. Edwards thinks a move to the middleweight division presents an exciting prospect for him and sees both fighters as favorable matchups.
“Definitely, without a doubt [stepping up to take on the middleweight champion]. Particularly with someone like Strickland—I believe he’s facing Du Plessis—any of the two would be fantastic. I’m quite large. That seems like the ideal solution, Edwards remarked. “I feel like I’m going to be the first person from the United Kingdom to go out and be double-champ. That is undoubtedly one of my objectives. That is definitely in the cards.”
The unexpected decision by Edwards has sparked reactions, including a response from Khamzat Chimaev, who awaits the winner of Strickland vs. Du Plessis. Chimaev, having defeated Kamaru Usman in what was considered a middleweight title eliminator at UFC 294, took to social media to suggest that both Colby Covington and Leon Edwards are “terrified” of facing him.
Edwards is hoping to make a swift recovery to compete on the UFC 300 card, which is anticipated to happen in April, in addition to moving up in weight class. Edwards, who expressed his desire for a fight right away, emphasized the lack of excitement in the welterweight class and believes that the UFC 300 card presents the ideal setting for a big fight.
“As there isn’t anyone exciting in the division right now, it would be ideal for me to go out there and accomplish that. UFC 300, that’s cool. It would be enormous if you put me on that card. See what happens,” he said.
The possible move to the middleweight class adds an intriguing dimension to Edwards’ UFC future as he gets ready to defend his welterweight title against Covington, potentially paving the way for a historic double-championship run. Fans of the UFC eagerly await the results of UFC 296 and “Rocky” Edwards’ subsequent decisions.
