Ian Machado Garry says that former welterweight champion Leon Edwards is past his sell-by date.
The 33-year-old Briton has now lost two straight fights for the first time in his career, after first dropping the UFC’s 170-pound title last summer to the now-former champ Belal Muhammad — and more recently, losing by fourth-round submission to the surging contender Sean Brady in London in March.
The pair of defeats has inserted something of a road block in Edwards’ ambitions of one day regaining the welterweight championship — and one man who has title aspirations of his own says that Edwards should consider stepping away from the sport if his time as a title contender has come to an end.
“If I was Leon I’d be retiring,” Garry said in an interview with talkSPORT, as noted by MMA Fighting. “He clearly doesn’t have the love for it anymore. Clearly doesn’t have the talent for it against the best young youth of the division. Just kick it in, say you were a world champion, and go off into the streets of Birmingham, tell the people story of what was, not what is.”
Edwards had an extended path to his world title, going undefeated in ten straight fights before defeating Kamaru Usman by dramatic late head kick KO to claim the crown. He would subsequently defend against Usman, winning their rematch by unanimous decision.
He followed that up with a comprehensive decision win over Colby Covington before dropping bouts to Muhammad and Brady.
Machado Garry has title claims of his own, particularly after recently becoming the first man on the roster to have defeated the Brazilian striker Carlos Prates. He subsequently served as the back-up fighter two weeks later at UFC 315 in Canada to the title fight between Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena, which the Australian won by decision.
And had Machado Garry entered the cage that night against either man, he is sure he would have been the victor.
“[I should have won the title] back in UFC 315 in Canada,” he said. “That’s the truth, it should have, but they decided to go with a guy who’s been out for a year and coming off a broken arm and not being active for a year, but that’s up to them as a business and they can do what they want.
“All I know is I was present for the world title fight between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena in Canada and had I fought that night, I would have a belt wrapped around my waist. That’s what I truly believe.”
