Former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards is on the comeback trail.
The Briton, who was defeated for the 170-pound title by Belal Muhammad in Manchester this past summer, has vowed to get back into a title bout by the end of 2025 — and it seems likely that the first step on that path will come in the UFC’s mooted return to London in a few months time.
“I’m back in March,” Edwards, 33, told DAZN at a Matchroom Boxing event in his hometown of Birmingham this past weekend, as noted by MMA Fighting. “March in London, at the O2. I’m headlining the O2, so I’m looking forward to it, to get my belt back and bring it back to Birmingham.”
A potential opponent has not yet been revealed, though it stands to reason that rising welterweight contenders Sean Brady and Jack Della Maddalena have the necessary credentials to be placed into a bout with the former champ.
The defeat to Muhammad, which came in a five-round main event in the UFC 304 main event, was Edwards’ first-ever defeat on British soil and his first defeat in 13 fights. Top contenders Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry are set to meet later this month to determine the number one contender for Muhammad’s welterweight crown.
Meanwhile, Edwards also outlined to DAZN that he is open to a switch to boxing at some point in the future as he seeks to test his mettle in a new sport.
“A hundred percent, I said it to Eddie [Hearn] earlier, ‘Get me a fight.’ Watching these fights, watching how hard the guys work, I’d love to one day cross over, test out my boxing skills. Hopefully.”