‘That’s My Goal!’ Edwards To Pursue 185-Pound Gold In 2025

Leon Edwards has defied the odds since reaching Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) Welterweight title scene.

The 170-pound titleholder has been flawless inside the Octagon for the past nine years. Edwards’ last loss came against his eventual rival and the now-former champion, Kamaru Usman, via unanimous decision in December 2015. “Rocky” made the proper adjustments many years later to knock off Usman in back-to-back battles in 2022 and 2023 before his second successful title defense against Colby Covington late last year.

After UFC 302 this past weekend (June 1, 2024), the Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, continued to express his interest in challenging for Welterweight gold at some point. The Brit likes the idea of the match up, he’s just not sure the timing is right to consider it.

“I welcome it,” Edwards told Sky Sports of a Makhachev fight. “I think we both got work to do within our division(s).

“He just fought his first Lightweight defense against an actual Lightweight (Dustin Poirier),” he continued. “I feel like he’s got a few more Lightweights he’s gotta go through first before he can even think about moving up. But if we’re both going on these reigns, why not later on in the future?

“It’s a massive fight,” Edwards concluded. “Feel like I’ve got work to do within my division first then the super fights will come.”

Makhachev’s recent fifth round d’arce choke of Poirier (watch highlights) was his third successful title defense. Edwards will look to secure the same when he rematches Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 next month (Sat., July 27, 2024).

Ultimately, the upcoming title fight will begin the potential plan Edwards has in mind for his own dual-division championship hopes.

“I would like to go up and challenge for the Middleweight belt, that is my goal,” Edwards said. “My excitement is me getting another belt. My plan was to go next year. Defend my belt twice this year, that will be four defenses. Maybe one more [defense] next year, that’s five defenses. Then later on in the year, have a big Middleweight fight. That’s six title fights. That is my goal. Two [defenses] this year, one next year, then end of next year move up.”