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UFC welterweight Leon Edwards spoke openly about dealing with his father’s death at the age of 13 back when he was preparing to fight Tyron Woodley in a huge 170-pound clash at UFC London in 2020.
The fight didn’t quite come to fruition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the clip of Rocky talking about his father's death has been reposted by BT Sport ahead of Edwards' clash against Belal Muhammad this weekend.
Leon Edwards isn’t considered to be a fighter with much of a personality by the majority of MMA fans, who don’t know his story. However, when hearing Edwards speak about his father’s murder, it’s clear that Rocky has been through a lot.
“As far as processing it, death became normal to me at that age. Even just my dad. It was weird because I didn’t even cry. It was a mad feeling. I didn’t even cry even though I felt it. I just couldn’t cry for some reason," reflected Leon Edwards.
"As time went on, it led me into the same path he was going down - the wrong path. I was a product of my environment. All my friends were heading down the wrong path and I was following my friends. I’m happy that mixed martial arts gave me a way out," said Edwards.
In the clip, Leon Edwards goes on to discuss the criminal lifestyle he grew up in while living in Birmingham. Rocky made it clear that MMA was his route away from all the negativity in his life.
Leon Edwards is one of the most talented welterweights on the planet and he has proven it time and time again in the Octagon. His fight in Las Vegas on Saturday, however, will serve as a big test as it has been almost two years since Edwards competed in MMA.
Belal Muhammad is on a great run of his own and both fighters share the same 18-3 record. It will be interesting to see which fighter comes out on top when the two welterweights clash.
Whatever happens, we’re expecting fireworks.
