# Leon Edwards

Leon Edwards (born 25 August 1991) is an English professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the former UFC welterweight champion. A professional since 2011, Edwards formerly competed for BAMMA, where he was the BAMMA welterweight champion. As of 30 July 2024, he is #1 in the UFC welterweight rankings, and as of 11 March 2025, he is #12 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

## Early life

Edwards was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and lived with his parents and his brother in a one-room house. Growing up, he was surrounded by crime, and his father was involved in what he describes as "questionable activities". Edwards moved to the Aston area of Birmingham, England at nine years old. In the early hours of 2 October 2004, when Edwards was 13 years old, his father, Rufus Edwards, was shot and killed in a nightclub in Croydon, London. He was then involved in criminal activity such as drug dealing, street fighting, and knife possession along with others in his social circle, but was able to get out of his lifestyle at age 17, when his mother got him to join an MMA club.

## Mixed martial arts career
### Early career

Edwards began his professional fighting career in 2010, making his debut as an amateur at Bushido Challenge 2 - A New Dawn. Edwards fought Carl Booth, winning via an armbar submission in round two.

### Fight UK MMA

Edwards then signed a contract with Fight UK MMA. He debuted for the promotion against Damian Zlotnicki, winning via technical knockout in the first round. He had two more fights for the promotion, winning against Pawel Zwiefka and losing against Delroy McDowell via DQ by way of an illegal knee.

### Post-Fight UK MMA

Edwards obtained a 2–1 record after leaving Fight UK MMA. He then fought Craig White at the Strength and Honor 14, winning by decision. Edwards then went to fight for "BAMMA", in which he went 5–0. During his stint with BAMMA, he won the welterweight championship against Wayne Murrie and he defended it once against Shaun Taylor in what was his last fight with BAMMA before going to the UFC.

### Ultimate Fighting Championship

Edwards made his promotional debut against Cláudio Silva on 8 November 2014 at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux. He was defeated via split decision.
Edwards faced veteran Seth Baczynski on 11 April 2015 at UFC Fight Night 64. Edwards won the fight via KO at 0:08 of the first round. This result earned him a Performance of the Night bonus and marked one of the sixth fastest knockouts in the organization.
Edwards faced Pawel Pawlak on 18 July 2015 at UFC Fight Night 72. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Edwards next faced eventual UFC champion Kamaru Usman on 19 December 2015 at UFC on Fox 17. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
Edwards faced Dominic Waters on 8 May 2016 at UFC Fight Night 87. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Edwards next faced Albert Tumenov on 8 October 2016 at UFC 204. He won the fight via submission in the third round.
Edwards faced Vicente Luque on 18 March 2017 at UFC Fight Night 107. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
Edwards faced Bryan Barberena on 2 September 2017 at UFC Fight Night 115. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
Edwards faced Peter Sobotta on 17 March 2018 at UFC Fight Night 127. He won the fight via TKO at 4:59 in the third round.
Edwards faced Donald Cerrone on 23 June 2018 at UFC Fight Night 132. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Edwards faced Gunnar Nelson on 16 March 2019 at UFC Fight Night 147. He won the bout by split decision. After the event, Edwards was punched backstage by Jorge Masvidal, which left Edwards with a laceration under his left eye.
Edwards faced former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos on 20 July 2019 in the main event of UFC on ESPN 4. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
As the first bout of his new, multi-fight contract, Edwards was scheduled to face Tyron Woodley on 21 March 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Edwards. However, the restrictions related to COVID-19 forced Edwards to withdraw as the event was meant to be moved from London to the United States, and the event was subsequently cancelled.
After a 425-day hiatus since his bout with Dos Anjos, the UFC had removed Edwards from the UFC rankings due to inactivity on 22 October 2020. However, one day later, it was announced that he had been scheduled to face undefeated prospect Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC Fight Night 183 on 19 December 2020. This involved Edwards being back to the #3 spot in the UFC rankings. On 29 November, it was announced that Chimaev had allegedly tested positive for COVID-19, which meant the bout was declared on jeopardy. On 1 December, Edwards officially tested positive for COVID-19 and allegedly lost twelve pounds due to the severity of his case, so the bout was subsequently postponed. On 22 December, it was announced that the contest has been rescheduled for 20 January 2021, at UFC Fight Night 185. In turn, Chimaev pulled out of the contest on 29 December due to lingering effects of his own COVID-19 struggle. As a result, the bout was temporarily cancelled. On 13 January, the bout was scheduled for the third time, and was scheduled to headline UFC Fight Night 187 on 13 March 2021. However, on 11 February, UFC president Dana White announced the fight was once again cancelled due to Chimaev suffering from lingering effects of COVID-19. On 18 February, it was announced that Belal Muhammad would be the replacement opponent for Edwards. During the beginning of the second round, Edwards accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye rendering him unable to continue. The fight was declared a no contest, snapping his 8-fight win streak.
Edwards was expected to face Nate Diaz on 15 May 2021 at UFC 262, marking the first time a non-main event and non-title bout had been scheduled for 5 rounds in UFC history. However, the bout was moved to UFC 263 due to a minor injury sustained by Diaz. Edwards controlled a vast majority of the bout, but was stunned badly with punches late in the fifth. Edwards won the fight by unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, 49–46).
Edwards was scheduled to face Jorge Masvidal on 11 December 2021 at UFC 269. However, Masvidal withdrew due to injury and the bout was scrapped.

#### UFC Welterweight Champion

Edwards rematched Kamaru Usman on 20 August 2022 at UFC 278 for the UFC Welterweight Championship. After having a successful first round and struggling for the next four, Edwards won the fight and title via knockout in the fifth round, claiming the UFC Welterweight Championship. The win earned him the Performance of the Night award. This victory is considered by many to be one of the best knockouts of all time, as well as one of the best comebacks to ever be pulled off in UFC history.
A third fight between Edwards and Usman took place on 18 March 2023, at UFC 286. With a point deduction in the third round due to grabbing the fence to prevent a takedown, he won the bout via majority decision. Aside from the fence grab, Edwards was commended for showing significant improvement from the second meeting with Usman, defending 11 of Usman's 15 takedown attempts and out-striking Usman on the feet for most of the fight.
In the second defence of his title, Edwards faced Colby Covington on 16 December 2023 in the main event at UFC 296. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
In his third attempted title defence, Edwards faced Belal Muhammad again in a rematch on 27 July 2024 in the main event at UFC 304. After being taken down throughout the bout, he lost the championship via unanimous decision, which was the first fight he lost in nine years.

#### Post championship

Edwards was scheduled to face Jack Della Maddalena in the main event on 22 March 2025 at UFC Fight Night 255 in London, England. However, Della Maddalena was pulled from the card to be rescheduled for another matchup, and was replaced by Sean Brady.

## Personal life

Leon grew up in Aston, Birmingham, England but is originally from Kingston, Jamaica. He started training mixed martial arts when he was 17. His nickname, Rocky, was given to him by his friends in school. His brother, Fabian, is also a mixed martial artist for Bellator MMA.

## Championships and achievements
### Mixed martial arts

* Ultimate Fighting Championship
** UFC Welterweight Championship (One time)
*** Two successful title defenses
** First Jamaican-born champion in UFC history
** Performance of the Night (Two Times) vs. Seth Baczynski and Kamaru Usman 2
** Sixth-fastest finish in UFC history vs. Seth Baczynski (8 seconds)
** Second longest unbeaten streak in UFC Welterweight Division history (13) (behind Kamaru Usman)
** Tied (Kamaru Usman) for fourth most decision wins in UFC Welterweight division history (10)
** Tied (Ian Machado Garry) for the third longest win streak in UFC Welterweight division history (8)
** Latest knockout & finish in UFC Welterweight division history (0:01 remaining vs. Peter Sobotta)
** UFC Honors Awards
*** 2022: Fan's Choice Knockout of the Year Winner vs. Kamaru Usman 2 & Fan's Choice Comeback of the Year Winner vs. Kamaru Usman 2
** UFC.com Awards
*** 2022: Ranked #5 Fighter of the Year, Upset of the Year & Knockout of the Year vs. Kamaru Usman 2
*** 2023: Ranked #3 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #6 Upset of the Year vs. Kamaru Usman 3
* BAMMA
** BAMMA RDX Welterweight Championship (One time, former)
*** One successful title defence
* MMAjunkie.com
** 2022 August Knockout of the Month vs. Kamaru Usman
* ESPN
** 2022 Knockout of the Year vs. Kamaru Usman
* Cageside Press
** 2022 Comeback of the Year vs. Kamaru Usman
** 2022 Knockout of the Year vs. Kamaru Usman, tied with Michael Chandler
* Violent Money TV
** VMTV UK MMA Knockout of the Year 2022 vs. Kamaru Usman at UFC 278
** VMTV UK MMA Male Fighter of the Year 2023
* World MMA Awards
** 2023 Charles 'Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year
** 2023 International Fighter of the Year
** 2023 Knockout of the Year vs. Kamaru Usman at UFC 278
** 2023 Comeback of the Year vs. Kamaru Usman at UFC 278

## Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown :
| 27 matches | 22 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 7 | 0 |
| By submission | 3 | 0 |
| By decision | 12 | 3 |
| By disqualification | 0 | 1 |
| No contests | 1 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 22–4 (1) | Belal Muhammad | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 304 | 27 July 2024 | 5 | 5:00 | Manchester, England | Lost the UFC Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 22–3 (1) | Colby Covington | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 296 | 16 December 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 21–3 (1) | Kamaru Usman | Decision (majority) | UFC 286 | 18 March 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | London, England | Defended the UFC Welterweight Championship. Edwards was deducted one point in round 3 due to grabbing the fence. |
| Win | 20–3 (1) | Kamaru Usman | KO (head kick) | UFC 278 | 20 August 2022 | 5 | 4:04 | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | Won the UFC Welterweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 19–3 (1) | Nate Diaz | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 263 | 12 June 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | Glendale, Arizona, United States | |
| NC | 18–3 (1) | Belal Muhammad | NC (accidental eye poke) | UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad | 13 March 2021 | 2 | 0:18 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Accidental eye poke rendered Muhammad unable to continue. |
| Win | 18–3 | Rafael dos Anjos | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Edwards | 20 July 2019 | 5 | 5:00 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 17–3 | Gunnar Nelson | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal | 16 March 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Win | 16–3 | Donald Cerrone | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards | 23 June 2018 | 5 | 5:00 | Kallang, Singapore | |
| Win | 15–3 | Peter Sobotta | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov | 17 March 2018 | 3 | 4:59 | London, England | |
| Win | 14–3 | Bryan Barberena | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Struve | 2 September 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | |
| Win | 13–3 | Vicente Luque | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Manuwa vs. Anderson | 18 March 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Win | 12–3 | Albert Tumenov | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 204 | 8 October 2016 | 3 | 3:01 | Manchester, England | |
| Win | 11–3 | Dominic Waters | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Arlovski | 8 May 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | |
| Loss | 10–3 | Kamaru Usman | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2 | 19 December 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Orlando, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 10–2 | Paweł Pawlak | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites | 18 July 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Glasgow, Scotland | |
| Win | 9–2 | Seth Baczynski | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Gonzaga vs. Cro Cop 2 | 11 April 2015 | 1 | 0:08 | Kraków, Poland | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 8–2 | Cláudio Silva | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux | 8 November 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Uberlândia, Brazil | |
| Win | 8–1 | Shaun Taylor | KO (punch) | BAMMA 16 | 13 September 2014 | 3 | 3:30 | Manchester, England | Defended the BAMMA British Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–1 | Wayne Murrie | Submission (rear-naked choke) | BAMMA 15 | 5 May 2014 | 3 | 3:13 | London, England | Won the BAMMA British Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 6–1 | Wendle Lewis | KO (punches) | BAMMA 14 | 14 December 2013 | 1 | 1:20 | Birmingham, England | |
| Win | 5–1 | Adam Boussif | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | BAMMA 13 | 13 September 2013 | 1 | 2:10 | Birmingham, England | |
| Win | 4–1 | Jonathan Bilton | TKO (knees) | BAMMA 11 | 1 December 2012 | 2 | 1:11 | Birmingham, England | |
| Win | 3–1 | Craig White | Technical Decision | Strength and Honour 14 | 3 November 2012 | 2 | 5:00 | Exeter, England | |
| Loss | 2–1 | Delroy McDowell | DQ (illegal knee) | Fight UK MMA 6 | 25 February 2012 | 3 | 2:40 | Leicester, England | Return to Welterweight. |
| Win | 2–0 | Pawel Zwiefka | Decision (unanimous) | Fight UK MMA 5 | 19 November 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Leicester, England | Middleweight debut. |
| Win | 1–0 | Damian Zlotnicki | TKO (punches) | Fight UK MMA 4 | 5 June 2011 | 1 | 2:15 | Leicester, England | Welterweight debut. |

## Pay-per-view bouts

| No. | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV buys |
| 1. | UFC 278 | Usman vs. Edwards 2 | 20 August 2022 | Vivint Arena | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | Not Disclosed |
| 2. | UFC 286 | Edwards vs. Usman 3 | 18 March 2023 | The O2 Arena | London, England, United Kingdom | Not Disclosed |
| 3. | UFC 296 | Edwards vs. Covington | 16 December 2023 | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Not Disclosed |
| 4. | UFC 304 | Edwards vs. Muhammad 2 | 27 July 2024 | Co-op Live | Manchester, England, United Kingdom | Not Disclosed |