Is this the end of Leon Edwards‘ legendary UFC run? Concerned? You should be. ‘Rocky’ was stunned by Sean Brady in a shocking UFC London main event that sent tremors through the MMA world. After a decade of dominance — including two victories over the once-feared Kamaru Usman — Edwards’ aura crumbled in the face of Brady’s relentless pressure. The former champion showed little intent, leaving fans bewildered. So, what’s next for Edwards after this crushing loss? Michael Bisping might just have the answer.
Known for his relentless striking, Edwards has been completely exposed in his last two battles, which might prove to be his kryptonite in the future. After defeating ‘Rocky’, Brady gave him a reality check, saying, “Leon’s a very technical fighter, but when you make it a real hard fight, he tends to break, and I could see he was breaking.” So, does that mean the fighter crumbles when it comes to wrestling? It seems that way. For his next battle, Michael Bisping has backed Ian Garry over any other fighter. The reason? Bisping wants Edwards to go back to his roots.
When asked about Leon Edwards’s future in the sport on X, Michael Bisping stated, “I’d like to see him against a striker so he can have a fun fight. Ian Garry makes a lot of sense if you ask me.” Wrestlers have often posed a challenge for strikers, and everyone knows it. Edwards faced two high-level wrestlers, Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady, back-to-back, and it became evident that wrestling was a weakness for him. How so? Once taken down to the mat, he struggles and crumbles under pressure. ‘Rocky’ needs to understand for him to get his composure back, he will have to get back to his roots and that is precisely striking.
A fight against Ian Machado Garry would be a perfect wake-up call for him because ‘The Future’ also leverages his striking more than wrestling. Still confused? Well, let’s take an imaginary situation where Garry and Edwards fight; what do you think will happen? It will be a clash between Garry, who is known for his aggressive forward passing against a calculated Edwards, who capitalizes on counter-striking.
In his clash with ‘The Future’, Edwards understands why it is crucial for him to capitalize on his kicks rather than rely on wrestling. His fight with Sean Brady was difficult to watch, considering the fact that this was not the Leon Edwards fans had grown to love. Both Ian Garry and Leon Edwards are coming off from losses and their clash would mean a do-or-die situation for both of them. Is that all from Bisping? Well, nope.
Michael Bisping points out what Leon Edwards needs after UFC Fight Night 255 defeat
Leon Edwards remained undefeated for nearly a decade before facing Belal Muhammad, and since then, it seems the fighter has lost his charm. A defeat against Sean Brady was understandable, but the manner in which ‘Rocky’ lost was inexcusable. For the first time in his career, someone managed to finish him. ‘Rocky’ will have to introspect where it went wrong and Bisping has come forward to help him here.
Talking to ‘TNT’ sports after UFC London, Bisping added, “I think the biggest opponent for Leon Edwards now, though, is going to be himself. What’s going on in there [in his head]? Does he accept that? ‘Okay I was just beaten by two really high-level grapplers, maybe the two best grapplers in the division and I’m still 31 years old. I haven’t slowed down, I haven’t got injuries, I’m not riddled with arthritis, I’m [not] blind in one eye, okay.’ Or does he have the strength to say ‘Hold on a minute, you know I’m going to rebuild myself”
‘Rocky’ is still young (33) and if he plays his cards right, then he might be able to win his title back but this will require too much introspection as well as training specifically takedown defense. Will Leon Edwards get back his composure or is it the end of his career? State your thoughts in the comments below.
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