About two months have passed since Edwards’ head kick knockout of Kamaru Usman tilted the mixed martial arts world on its axis at UFC 278, and the newly minted welterweight champion has greatly enjoyed the abundance that comes with UFC gold.
“I got a lot more friends now (laughs),” Edwards told UFC.com backstage at UFC 280, where he was a guest fighter. “I get everything for free, so life is good, and I can’t complain. It took a long time to get here, and I want to take it all in.”
Although a champion enjoying the fruits of their labor can sometimes get dicey when it comes to getting back to work, it’s easy to feel otherwise about Edwards.
The 31-year-old had a notoriously slow rise up the welterweight rankings, including some particularly bad luck in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic first cancelled the London fight night he was set to headline. Then came a serious bout with COVID and a few cancelled bookings against Khamzat Chimaev before finally fighting Belal Muhammad in a bout that prematurely ended in a no contest due to an inadvertent eye poke. After beating Nate Diaz at UFC 263 to extend his unbeaten streak to 10 fights, he finally got his shot at Usman and made the most of it. That journey, and all the different detours he took, steeled him before he finally got his time in the spotlight.
“My rise was gradual,” he said. “It took a while to get there, so I’ve got used to it over time. I feel like this is how it was meant to be. For a long time, I’ve always said I was the best in the world.”
He laughs when asked how many times he has had to recreate the head kick during various media appearances. So far, the targets have remained relatively normal, but he knows fans can get creative.
One of the major reasons Edwards’ big moment landed so emphatically was not just the dramatics of the moment but the impact it had where he grew up in Birmingham. Taking the belt home to the community in which he grew up carried particular significance for him, and he has also seen the effect of his success reverberate in the gym at Team Renegade and for the youth in Birmingham.
Team Renegade Hopes To Breed Champs, Positively Impact Community
“It means a lot to the team, for the kids in the gym to show them, ‘He’s doing it. Why can’t we do it?’” Edwards said. “I am happy to be that person, the frontrunner of UK MMA right now, and I’m hoping that (UFC President) Dana (White) comes back and brings that stadium show. I think we deserve it. The UK, we’ve turned up every single time for the UFC, so I can’t wait for next year.”
When and where the presumed rematch comes against Usman is unknown, but after balancing touring and training over the last couple of months, Edwards said he returned to the gym in earnest after attending UFC 280.
After potentially landing the greatest head kick in UFC history, Edwards is sharply focused on proving his victory was anything but a fluke. His journey to the top backs up that rebuttal, but Edwards is also more than comfortable proving doubters wrong.
The pomp and circumstance of champ life is anything but overwhelming to him. He achieved his greatest goal, and now comes the errand of adding to an instantly iconic legacy.
“It’s been nonstop busy, but this is what I’ve worked for an awful long time,” he said. “I am excited to carry on this journey to be one of the best of all-time.”
