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Leon Edwards' unique fighting style has propelled him to the top of the welterweight division. With nine straight victories (one no-contest) under his belt, Edwards has found himself on the verge of contending for the title.
However, 'Rocky' has been leapfrogged by contenders such as Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns – fighters perceived to be flashy and more exciting to watch.
To appreciate Edwards' greatness, one would have to pick up on the understated facets of his game. Unfortunately for him, subtlety does not stand out in a division that's inhabited by bombastic characters and hype machines.
How good is Leon Edwards? Based on his record, his title shot is long overdue. However, it's no secret that performance is not the sole basis for UFC matchmaking. Therefore, Edwards will have to snag another victory or two to solidify his claim, while people like Masvidal and Colby Covington have already gotten their championship rematches.
The terms "underrated" and "underappreciated" have been thrown around by UFC fans to the point where they have lost their value. But in Edwards' case, those adjectives aptly describe his existence as a welterweight star. If you're not convinced, here's an in-depth look at the evolution of Edwards' fighting style.
Leon Edwards's early struggles
Leon Edwards had a rocky start to his UFC career – pardon the pun. In his promotional debut, Edwards' flaws were exposed by Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Claudio Silva.
Primarily a kickboxer, 'Rocky' prefers to stand and utilize a stance that allows him to defend against takedowns. But due to his inexperience, Silva was able to take him to the ground repeatedly. As a result, the Brit fell on the wrong side of a narrow split decision.
Edwards displayed increments of improvement as the years went by. He went on to win his next two fights against Seth Baczynski and Pawel Pawlak using his patented technical precision. However, the British fighter ran into a brick wall when he crossed paths with future pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman.
Against Usman, Edwards showcased much-improved proficiency in the grappling department, but it ultimately proved insufficient. While 'Rocky' held his own against Usman in the clinch, he was unable to prevent 'The Nigerian Nightmare' from overpowering him. As a result, Usman tied him up and forced takedowns at will.
Leon Edwards 2.0
Getting manhandled by Kamaru Usman taught Leon Edwards that his defensive wrestling wasn't good enough. As a remedy, Edwards spent some time at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) – home to MMA's premier wrestlers Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Cain Velasquez. Impressively, the results were instantaneous.
Hoping to rebound from the Usman loss, Edwards took on Dominic Waters at UFC Fight Night 87. Facing a barrage of takedown attempts, Edwards successfully neutralized Waters by being more aggressive in the clinch. Unable to force the issue, Waters was picked apart by Edwards on the feet en route to a unanimous decision win.
As if he was trying to prove a point, Edwards tested his newfound wrestling skills against Albert Tumenov. This time, Edwards no longer used his grappling exclusively for defense. In the third, 'Rocky' went for a takedown and choked Tumenov to secure the submission win.
Leon Edwards' blindspots
Leon Edwards has grown into a well-rounded fighter throughout his UFC tenure. However, it's reasonable to say that he's a jack of all trades and a master of none.
Edwards has proven that he can win fights wherever they take place. The problem is that 'Rocky' has yet to find a particular field where he can truly dominate his opponents. For that reason, Edwards only has a few stoppage wins. Over the course of his nine-fight winning streak, Edwards had just two victories by stoppage.
His perceived lack of a killer instinct is also why Edwards isn't as popular as his contemporaries. While fame should not be a factor for success, the UFC has shown time and again that it favors fighters who generate hype.
Fair or not, Edwards' best path to title contention is by derailing hype trains one by one until he's the only option left. He'll have the opportunity to do exactly that when he squares off against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 269.
