Fresh off the back of a stunning knockout win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 278, Leon Edwards has made it clear he expects to be back in the cage in early 2023 for the first defense of his welterweight title.
The MMA world is just about recovering from the shocking moment which was Leon Edwards’ head-kick KO of Kamaru Usman. However, it’s necessary to look forward and plan out what the two sides of UFC 278’s main event will do next, and when.
The champ seems to have an idea, though. He announced to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that he expects to be back at the start of 2023, and wants to fight in his home country of England.
Leon Edwards’ Ideal Return Time
“Yeah, 100% it’ll be next year. Obviously, I’ve got a few injuries I need to sort out. Early next year, I don’t wanna be out too long.”
“They normally go to London in March/April, right? So around that time. We’re good to go.”
“Let’s go, big stadium, that’s what Dana said. MMA now in the UK is booming, and to now have a world champion from the UK. We’ve got all the other guys like Paddy, Darren, and everyone else. Put them all on the card and let’s sell out Wembley.”
UFC President Dana White also seems to agree with suggestions of a return to the UK. In the UFC 278 post-fight press conference, Dana brought up Wembley and later explained the UFC is “Exploring all options” for a UK Pay-Per-View.
The last time a Pay-Per-View event was held in the UK, the first British champion Michael Bisping defended his Middleweight title against Dan Henderson at Manchester Arena.
Is another UK PPV on the cards headlined by Edwards and Usman? Let us know your thoughts down below!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
