Rivalries: Leon Edwards

If Leon Edwards wants to complete his expedition to the top of the mountain, he must do so at the expense of one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound competitors.

The Kingston, Jamaica, native will challenge Kamaru Usman for the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight crown when their rematch shoulders the UFC 278 marquee on Saturday at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. Edwards has compiled an impressive 11-2 record since he joined the roster in 2014, though one of those two losses was the result of his first encounter with Usman nearly seven years ago. He last fought at UFC 263, where he laid claim to a five-round unanimous decision over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 winner Nate Diaz on June 12, 2021.

As Edwards approaches a potentially career-defining battle with Usman at 170 pounds, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped chart his course to this point:

Claudio Silva

The London Shootfighters standout leaned on tactical takedowns, a sturdy chin and a brutish top game when he eked out a contentious split decision over Edwards in a competitive UFC Fight Night 56 welterweight showcase on Nov. 8, 2014 at Tancredo Neves Municipal Gymnasium in Uberlandia, Brazil. All three judges scored it 29-28: Derek Cleary and Roy Silbert for Silva, Guilherme Bravo for Edwards. A promising promotional newcomer at the time, Edwards controlled extended parts of the match with his standup, as he fired away with clean, crisp counters and searing left hooks. However, Silva waded through dangerous waters to get the fight where he wanted. Edwards lost his foothold in the match late in the second round and offered little in the third. There, Silva secured a takedown, achieved full mount and tore into the British prospect with ground-and-pound before threatening with an arm-triangle choke.

Vicente Luque

Edwards called upon kicks to the head and body, sharp punching combinations and strategically timed takedowns when he claimed a unanimous decision from the Sanford MMA export as part of the UFC Fight Night 107 undercard on March 18, 2017 at the O2 Arena in London. All three cageside judges scored it 30-27. Luque executed a pair of takedowns in the first round but failed to make meaningful headway elsewhere. Edwards backed “The Ultimate Fighter 21” semifinalist to the cage with a flying knee in the middle stanza, struck for a takedown of his own and set up shop in half guard, dropping short-range elbows and punches. He turned his attention to Luque’s body in Round 3, had him ducking for cover with hooks upstairs and cut off an attempted rally from the New Jersey-born Brazilian with a late takedown.

Donald Cerrone

Superior standup and near-flawless takedown defense spurred Edwards to a unanimous decision over “Cowboy” in the UFC Fight Night 132 main event on June 23, 2018 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. All three judges struck 48-47 scorecards. Cerrone rallied late in the fight but could not overcome the Englishman—a contender on the rise at 170 pounds. Edwards outstruck him by narrow margins in all five rounds and denied all but one of his nine takedown attempts. He outpaced Cerrone in total strikes (101-64) and significant strikes (84-60), all while doing visible damage. Edwards opened a cut on the World Extreme Cagefighting veteran early in the fight and continued to target the wound until his night’s work was done and Cerrone’s blood had drenched the canvas.

Gunnar Nelson

A near-finish in the second round carried Edwards to a split decision over the Icelandic grappling savant in their UFC Fight Night 147 co-headliner on March 16, 2019 at the O2 Arena in London. Judge Howard Hughes saw it 29-28 for Nelson, while Anders Ohlsson and Andy Roberts scored it for Edwards, 29-27 and 29-28. After a closely contested first five minutes, Edwards made his move in Round 2. He floored Nelson with a counter elbow at close range, swooped into top position and unleashed short punches, elbows and hammerfists. The Renzo Gracie protégé withstood the assault but emerged with a massive hematoma near his right eye. Nelson showed his resilience in the third round, where he followed a straight right hand to the face with a takedown and climbed to full mount. Edwards managed to stay calm while pinned beneath a world-class grappler and denied the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt the finish he needed.

Rafael dos Anjos

Edwards recorded perhaps his most significant win to date and did so in resounding fashion when he cruised to a unanimous verdict over the respected Brazilian in their UFC on ESPN 4 main event on July 20, 2019 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Scores were 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46. Dos Anjos was competitive throughout but struggled to deal with the offensive weaponry the Brit fired at him. It included three surprising takedowns, along with a standing elbow strike in the second round that tore open a gnarly gash above the former lightweight champion’s right eye. Dos Anjos was burdened by the wound for the rest of the fight despite the admirable work done by his cutman. Edwards continued to land punches in combination and mixed in a few more slashing elbows to keep him off-balance. He outlanded dos Anjos by a 92-81 margin in significant strikes across their 15-minute encounter and turned his three takedowns into more than seven minutes of control time.