Leon Edwards is the reigning UFC welterweight champion, but just how far can his legacy go?
Edwards has now beaten Kamaru Usman twice and Colby Covington, two men who were once considered the best active welterweights in all of MMA. Now that he’s the top dog at 170 pounds, fight fans are wondering just how long “Rocky” can reign as the 170-pound king. Some believe rising star Shavkat Rakhmonov will eventually dethrone Edwards, others feel Belal Muhammad can get the job done. Of course, Edwards has his own believers who feels their champion will reign as long as he wants.
Time will tell how Edwards’ journey as the welterweight ruler ends, but UFC play-by-play ace Jon Anik feels it could be a historic reign if “Rocky” plays his cards right.
Leon Edwards: Future Welterweight GOAT?
Anik recently spoke to James Lynch for Bodog Canada. During the interview, the well-known commentator said that he thinks Leon Edwards would get closer topping Georges St-Pierre’s GOAT status if he keeps beating hungry contenders such as Belal Muhammad. He also shared whether or not he’s surprised Edwards hasn’t been as willing to fight Belal as he’d like.
“Well, I’m not necessarily surprised,” Anik said. “It’s not Leon Edwards’ job as the undisputed welterweight champion to lay the foundation for his next title defense. Certainly if his aspiration is to go down as the greatest welterweight champion, and by the way that is well within reach when he just beat Kamaru Usman twice and then Colby Covington, if that is the goal then he should want to take out and beat all of these guys. I think you need to marry the financial goals with the career aspirational goals. He’s a Hall of Famer first ballot, but to go down as potentially the greatest welterweight of all time, if Belal Muhammad is indeed easy work I think that fight makes a lot of sense.”
Jon Anik Understands Business Of Selling Fights, But It’s “Frustrating”
Anik went on to say that sometimes the sport of MMA bums him out when rightful contenders get passed on for the bigger stars.
“If people don’t think Belal can sell the fight, it’s very frustrating for me that our pro sport is the one where you have to entertain and need style points, but if they don’t think he can sell the fight then make him do his whole training camp during Ramadan and fight him at UFC 300 on April 13th. You can be one of three title fights and then everybody makes money and everybody’s happy. He’s the rightful number one contender.”
Here is James Lynch’s full interview with Jon Anik:
