Alexander Volknaovski sees a certain attribute in Leon Edwards that could bring him to another level.
The UFC 286 event will be a homecoming of sorts for Leon Edwards. This will be the first time Edwards will be fighting in front of his hometown crowd in London as the champion of the UFC welterweight division. He will be defending his title for the first time and taking on Kamaru Usman in a trilogy bout. Having just defeated Usman in their last fight has Edwards confident that he can do it again.
Another champion, Alexander Volkanovski knows just how far confidence can go in the sport of MMA. He feels now that Edwards holds a KO win over Usman he has the upper hand. Much like Volkanovski does before any big fight, he took to his YouTube channel to give his thoughts and prediction for this welterweight title fight.
Alexander Volkanovski is picking Leon Edwards to beat Kamaru Usman again at UFC 286
Volkanovski has been in a few hard-fought battles over his career. He has also had the opportunity to face the same man three times. He knows what it takes to get a win over someone you are very familiar with and because of this has a unique point of view on the upcoming bout between Edwards and Usman. After some back and forth and stating that he was 50/50, he made his prediction of another win by the champ.
“I feel like it’s going to be much different so I’m gonna probably lean towards Leon,” he said. “My pick for this one is going to be Leon. I’m sure it’s going to be wild over there. I’m sure they’re gonna blow the roof of that place. Let’s see if they can outdo Perth arena.”
Volkanovski is crediting the confidence that Edwards has shown since beating Usman. Usman appeared to be winning the last bout before Edwards ended his night with a high kick. Volkanovski thinks this is the deciding factor coming into the third bout.
“I mean the confidence for Leon through the last one knowing that he took him there, knowing that he can still beat him and that he did beat him. The confidence he is going to get from that he’s going to be incredible in the gym. Trust me when you’re confident, you can go to a whole nother level,” he said.
This title fight will take place as the main event of the UFC 286 card in London, England on March 18. The last bout between these two was held in Salt Lake City, Utah and the altitude there played a factor. Edwards believes that nothing can stop him from winning in the O2 Arena on Saturday night and has showcased that confidence that Volkanovski was talking about for weeks.
