Chael Sonnen ranks Leon Edwards higher than any other fighter on the UFC roster.
Edwards (22-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) will look to snap a two-fight skid when he faces Carlos Prates (22-7 MMA, 5-1 UFC) on the main card at UFC 322 this Saturday night.
“Rocky” enjoyed a two-year reign as UFC welterweight champion after knocking out Kamaru Usman in 2022, but his form has dipped in recent outings. After losing his title to Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 last year, Edwards suffered a submission loss to Sean Brady at UFC London this past March.
As he looks to get back on track this weekend, former UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen has been full of praise for the Englishman.
“What’s the problem with Leon? It’s been the problem his entire life – he doesn’t know how good he is,” Sonnen told TNT Sports. “Leon has been the best fighter in the UFC for years. Now, he had the world title and he could have kept that eight times longer. There was nobody more surprised the night the head kick was heard around the world when he captured the world title than him. He didn’t think he was going to beat Kamaru Usman that night.
“Leon Edwards is so good. He didn’t think he was going to beat Belal, which is why he didn’t beat Belal. He could have won that fight. I mean, Leon is so good. And I feel like, you know, that maybe it goes back to his youth. That maybe he didn’t have something that told (him), ‘Hey, good job.’ I feel like maybe he, because he doesn’t know how good he is, he’s among the greats, ever. He’s the greatest 170-pounder right now. He’s much better than Prates, but I can’t guarantee he’s going to win the fight. It’s he already knows he knows when he gets to the locker room. Am I going to win tonight or not? And I guess we’d have to ask him, but if he goes on and puts his skills against anybody else’s, he wins. He’s the best.”
