Leon Edwards will face off against Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of UFC San Antonio on July 20th, and both men share a common opponent who currently resides on the throne of the welterweight division, Kamaru Usman. Edwards’ loss to Usman occurred four years ago at UFC on Fox 17. Since then, Edwards has not looked back.
Leon Edwards has gone on to win seven consecutive fights in the welterweight division and now sits at #11 in the rankings. Edwards will have an opportunity to make a huge leap up when he faces dos Anjos, and he is hopeful that this leap will lead him one step closer to redemption:
“I’m putting in the work and beating so many of these so-called tough guys that everyone else is raving about,” Edwards told MMA Junkie. “So I feel after going out there and beating the former lightweight champion, that will put some eyes on me. And I would love, after beating him, getting the rematch against Kamaru Usman. I think that would be my dream after beating ‘RDA.’
“I want to be the one to dethrone him, to go out there and beat him. I feel like that would be the amazing story for that to happen. For me to go out there and beat him after he beat me three, four years ago, and I went undefeated, and then come back and beat him for the world title – that would be the perfect story.”
Ironically, Kamaru Usman defeated Rafael dos Anjos to earn his own world title opportunity, so Edwards is seeking to follow in the footsteps of the man he is chasing. Though dos Anjos’s stock may be slightly lower than when Usman defeated him, Edwards believes he remains a high enough caliber of opponent to ensure a title shot for himself with a victory:
“I feel after beating ‘RDA,’ that will put me right in line for a title shot,” Edwards said. “I’ll be on an eight-fight win streak after beating ‘RDA,’ and how can they deny me, you know what I mean? My aim is to go out there and perform and stop the man and get a world title shot.”
Do you believe a victory over Rafael dos Anjos would earn Leon Edwards a title shot?
