Though he was unable to pick up the finish for the first time in his career in his win this past February over Marco Hutch at Bellator 239, light-heavyweight Christian Edwards is nonetheless pleased with how the fight turned out.
In particular, Edwards was happy he was able to feature parts of his game that he hadn’t been able to before because his fights had rarely lasted past the first round.
“Honestly the thing that I take away from that fight the most, even of course I would have loved to had gotten the finish and have another highlight on my reel, I’m actually really glad that fight went the way that it did,” Edwards told MMAWeekly.com.
“I was able to showcase a lot of things in that fight that I feel like not a lot of people knew I had before that fight. (Things) like good cardio, a good pace, good ground skills; I was able to control and dominate on the ground and on the feet; I feel like it showcased a lot about myself.”
Edwards’ positive attitude also extended to his time during the lockdown. While at first he admits things weren’t easy, he was able to maintain his course and make the most of the situation and continue to develop his game.
“Mentally it was draining for sure,” said Edwards. “I had no classes going on at the gym, but I was still training on my own, but it was nerve-wrecking to say the least but I got through it.
“There’s something to improve no matter where you’re at in your career. A big part of it was staying ready and staying focused and having fun in training, because it is fun to me. It’s a bunch of things, but mostly those three things; training, learning, and having fun; and just being consistent with my training.”
On Thursday in Uncasville, Connecticut, Edwards (3-0) puts his unblemished record on the line when he faces Hamza Salim (5-3) in a 205-pound preliminary bout at Bellator 249.
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“He’s a tough guy with a lot of experience, so I’m definitely not looking past him,” Edwards said of Salim. “I know he’s definitely going to come and bring his best effort. I hope he’s confident and is expecting to win, because I want the best Hamza Salim.
“I just feel like the style that I bring to the table, and the weapons I have in my arsenal are just going to be too much for him. I think it will be a drowning pace that he won’t be able to keep up with.”
While Edwards is open to the possibilities following his bout with Salim, for now he’s just going to focus on one thing at a time take things as they happen.
“Just whatever comes my way comes my way,” said Edwards. “We’ll see how I feel after this fight and whether I fight again before the year ends or if I just wait until the beginning of next year. I try to focus on the task at hand and not look too far ahead.”
Christian Edwards believes his weapons will be too much for Hamza Salim at Bellator 249
