Kamaru Usman reacts to Leon Edwards facing potential do-or-die situation at UFC 322: ‘No one wants to drop 3 in a row’
Kamaru Usman understands just how much is riding on Leon Edwards’ performance at UFC 322 because he was in the same exact situation a few months ago.
Despite winning more rounds than he lost in a pair of back-to-back fights against Edwards between 2022 and 2023, Usman suffered a last-minute knockout loss to Edwards and then dropped a majority decision in their next encounter as he attempted to reclaim his welterweight title. Usman then accepted a short-notice fight against Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight that he nearly won, but ultimately ended up on the wrong end of another majority decision.
Usman finally got back on track with a dominant showcase against Joaquin Buckley in June, but now Edwards is faced with a similar scenario after he lost the welterweight title to Belal Muhammad and was then submitted by Sean Brady in his next outing. Edwards attempts to stave off a third loss in a row when he faces Carlos Prates on Saturday.
“It’s a big one,” Usman told MMA Fighting about Edwards’ upcoming fight. “Because you don’t really want to drop that many fights like that and not just drop the fights but just being dominated in that way. This one poses a little bit of a different challenge because it’s another striker. That’s primarily not been the area where Leon has struggled.
“It’s definitely a big one because no one wants to drop three in a row. But I think there’s still questions that need to be answered. Can you deal with a grappler that’s going to go in and try to put you down? Unless we get the answers, it’s going to be tough to say how this one is or how this one isn’t because those questions aren’t answered yet.”
Edwards was largely out-grappled in both of his recent losses to Muhammad and Brady so it’s a valid concern that winning at UFC 322 doesn’t necessarily absolve him of those past mistakes.
Prates is best known as an electric striker with huge knockout power in his hands, but Edwards is arguably one of the best kickboxers to ever compete in the welterweight division. Regardless of the stylistic matchup, Usman knows that doesn’t matter much when you’re staring down three straight losses, which is what Edwards desperately wants to avoid.
“It’s a big one because no one really wants to drop three in a row and of course, no one wants to be finished two out of those three,” Usman said.
While Edwards has his hands full in a redemption fight, many of the other top welterweights in the division have marquee matchups scheduled over the next two weeks.
At UFC 322, Sean Brady looks to build off his win over Edwards when he faces undefeated prospect Michael Morales, who is getting a decided step up in competition for his next fight. Meanwhile, former champion Belal Muhammad takes on Ian Machado Garry at UFC Qatar next Saturday in another pivotal matchup for the division.
Usman has been stumping for himself to get the next title shot against the winner of the UFC 322 main event between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev, but knows the rest of the division likely gets some clarity once these next two cards are finished.
“It’s a great time to be a top welterweight right now,” Usman said. “There’s just so many fun matchups, so many fun fights. These guys are really starting to inch their way up to the top of the division. Honestly, I don’t think any one is really in front of the other right now. Because if you look at the landscape, it’s difficult to say Shavkat [Rakhmonov] is in front of Sean Brady and Carlos Prates and Ian Machado Garry, of course he did get the win over [Prates] but it’s difficult to say that. Vice versa with Ian, it’s difficult to say you’re over Michael Morales or Brady and these guys. These guys are kind of bunched up there. You’ve got Michael Morales, Joaquin Buckley as well, you’ve got Sean Brady, you’ve got Ian Garry, you’ve got Carlos Prates.
“All these guys are there, it’s kind of exciting and I think hopefully after this weekend, some guys kind of separate themselves to where they’re not top tier and there’s a tier below those guys. These guys are a fight or two away and they’re getting the potential next shot. It’s something that I’m keeping my eye on and we’ll see what happens.”
