Leon Edwards has told fight fans to forget about a domestic showdown between him and Darren Till – unless the UFC suddenly decides to return to Birmingham.
The rising welterweight star is the hottest prospect in UK MMA at the moment, a spot Liverpudlian Till occupied before two bruising defeats in a row.
Edwards’ latest victory was an impressive domination of former champion Rafael dos Anjos and much has been made of comparing the rise of ‘Rocky’ to Till’s.
The UFC threw their promotional weight behind Till in 2018, sending an event to Liverpool and then handing the ‘Gorilla’ a title shot.
There has been no such scramble to push Edwards’ name, but the 27-year-old explained he had to let go of comparing himself to his closest domestic rival.
‘I don’t know what it is,’ Edwards told Metro.co.uk when asked why he felt Till was given more support. ‘Compare my record with Darren’s record, it’s like day and night.
‘It is what it is. I trust in my journey and my team. I spent too much time thinking “Why not me? Why aren’t they pushing me?” I’ve learned to trust in my journey and ignore that.
‘The only thing I need to do is keep proving the doubters wrong. If I believe I am one of the best fighters in the world, if not the best fighter in world, then it should mean nothing to go out there and beat guys like RDA.
‘I don’t think about Darren and his rise and why not me anymore. Focus on my journey, and keep doing what I’m doing and we’ll get to the world title.’
Edwards says he wants a title shot or the chance to settle his feud with Jorge Masvidal in his next fight, and is targeting a spot on the UFC’s annual Madison Square Garden fight card in November.
Masvidal has already dismissed Edwards’ call-out, but fight fans, UK ones in particular, would love to see Till vs Edwards. Till, though, has repeatedly teased a move to middleweight in recent months.
Two losses on the bounce, the first of Till’s pro career, has seen his star fade slightly, but he remains the biggest bankable UFC star in the UK after headlining three fight nights in a row.
But despite the prospect of a huge domestic showdown, Edwards said there was only one scenario where he would consider a fight with Till.
‘I’ve not thought about Darren at all. He’s on a two-fight losing streak,’ he insisted.
‘He’s said he’s moving up to middleweight and if he’s doing that then I’ve no interest in him.
‘It’s nothing personal. The only way I’d fight Darren Till is if they came back to Birmingham.
‘We could headline that. Apart from that, he’s not on my radar. He’s moving up a weight class and I wish him well. The only way I’d fight him is to headline at UFC Birmingham.’
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