Leon Edwards calls Kamaru Usman a ‘mediocre striker’ with ‘sh*t jiu jitsu’

Leon Edwards isn’t scared to share his thoughts on his fellow welterweight contenders. That includes the current champion, Kamaru Usman, who Edwards calls out during a sit-down interview with BJPenn.com.

“Rocky” first faced Kamaru Usman at UFC Orlando in 2015. Usman won via a unanimous decision victory, delivering Edwards the first loss of his UFC career. Four years later, Edwards hasn’t lost a fight and maintains the second most active win streak in the welterweight division. He sat down with BJPenn journalist Natasha Hooper to answer some much-anticipated questions.

When asked who he thinks would win in a Covington vs Usman bout, Edwards responded:

“I don’t know, ‘cos they’re both similar fighters. They’re both the same thing: mediocre strikers, (they’ve got) wrestling, (but) shit jiu-jitsu. They’re both the same kind of fighters but probably Usman. I think he’s got a little more power and strength then Colby.”

Leon Edwards also addressed his previous fight against Kamaru Usman and what would be different in a rematch. He said:

“I went into the fight with a defensive mind state. I was more thinking about not getting taken down more than what I want to do to him. For that fight, it was more mental for me, than anything. Obviously, I’ve improved leaps and bounds in my technique. I believe I will go out there and beat him. I’ll better him wherever the fight goes. I am a better striker than him, I am better at jiu-jitsu. He’s a great wrestler, but so am I. So, I believe I will beat him. That fight, I was just young… I’m a totally different human being from then, and I believe I will get the job done.”

Edwards goes on to call Kamaru Usman’s striking the weakest part of his MMA arsenal. You can watch Leon Edwards state his case at 10:40 in our video interview below:

Do you think Leon Edwards would prove victorious in a rematch with Kamaru Usman? Sound off in the comments section PENN Nation!

August 10, 2019