Leon Edwards agrees with Dana White: Kamaru Usman trilogy next with UFC 278 title win
Leon Edwards is already forecasting a trilogy fight with Kamaru Usman going into their UFC 278 title-fight rematch.
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SALT LAKE CITY – Leon Edwards knows his business with Kamaru Usman won’t be done if he claims the welterweight title in the UFC 278 main event.
After losing a unanimous decision to Usman (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) at UFC on FOX 17 in December 2015, Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) will finally get his rematch with the reigning titleholder on Saturday at Vivint Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ABC and ESPN+.
Given Usman’s tremendous reign atop the division, UFC president Dana White said in advance of the event that a trilogy fight will happen immediately should Edwards claim the belt. “Rocky” said he agrees with that take, and will be ready for the rubber match.
“For sure – 100 percent,” Edwards told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 278 media day. “He’s been a dominant champion, so naturally in sport in boxing or MMA, when you defend the belt a couple times or been dominant, you get a rematch. So, I definitely envision doing it again.”
Despite agreeing with White’s notion, Edwards said he’s not going to wait around forever. If he defeats Usman in a fashion that keeps “The Nigerian Nightmare” out for a considerable amount of time, then Edwards said he’ll look at other opponents such as Khamzat Chimaev, Jorge Masvidal, or Colby Covington.
“I want to be an active champion,” Edwards said. “I don’t want to be once a year. I want to be active. I’m only 30 years old, so I’m going into my prime now. The more fights I have, the better it would be for me.”
Although he already has a loss to Usman on his record, Edwards said he’s not looking at his UFC 278 rematch as a monumental task. Usman enters the fight No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie pound-for-pound rankings, but Edwards said he doesn’t see his upcoming foe as unbeatable, and he intends to prove that inside the octagon.
“All this pound-for-pound talk, I don’t see it,” Edwards said. “I don’t see it in his fights, I don’t see it in his techniques. He’s a very good fighter, he has improved. I’m not going to into this flight blind thinking he’s another wrestler, but I just don’t see it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.