LEON EDWARDS From KINGSTON to KING !
Although not the ideal situation, this was a common up bringing for people in Kingston, with parts of the city often referred to as "The Trenches" plagued with poverty, broken shacks, gangs and a history of crime.
It was tough for Leon growing up, and his father was involved in illegal activities that seemed quite normal at the time as the majority of people around him was living in a similar way.
Despite the hostile surroundings he was happy as a child and his parents provided him with things he needed in life, however they wanted more for him and his brother and decided to leave #Jamaica to live in #England, moving to #Aston, an area of Birmingham to start a new life abroad.
Tragically only 4 years after moving from kingston, his father was shot and killed in a nightclub in #London. Leon was just 13.
It was a hard situation for Leon to handle. In an intreview he describes the moment he finds out: “It was probably like 2 in the morning. I was in my room. She was in her room. We hear the phone ringing. I heard her crying, and I knew from then something bad, you know.” “Eventually, she came into my room and just told me this, your dad’s just got killed in London,”
Leon drifted into a life of gang violence and got involved in dealing drugs and fighting along with his freinds at the time. Luckily he was able to get out of the lifestyle at age 17.
Leons mom worked multiple jobs to send him to the local MMA gym in #Erdington to keep him off the streets and out of trouble.
Leon found that he was very talented in mixed material arts and had dreams of becoming a professional fighter for the UFC (ultimate fighter championship ) and hopefully becoming a world champion one day.
However leons first ever UFC ended in a close split decision loss after 3 rounds. Leon Edwards didn't have the best start in the UFC but managed to get his first victory in his next fight, against Seth Baczynski at UFC 64 in 2015.
Baczynski had a 19-12 professional record at the time was stopped by Edwards in the 1st round then went on to beat Paweł Pawlak in his next UFC match up but lost to Kamaru Usman via unanimous decision in 2015.
Since losing to Kamaru Usman, 'Rocky' has remained unbeaten in the UFC and recently avenged his loss against the then pound for pound world champion Usman.
Edwards stopped the Nigerian in the fifth and final round at UFC 278 with a devastating leg kick to head that immediately kocked out Usman to become the UFC welterweight champion of the world, bringing the ufc belt back to his home town of Birmingham.
The pair will now do battle for a third time with Edwards defending his crown in front of his home fans in the UK.
UFC 286 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 18 and is being held at The O2 Arena in London.
The card will begin at 6pm while Edwards vs Usman can be expected at around 10:30pm.
Edwards: “I just want to see how he reacts to getting knocked out cold, and see how he reacts travelling to the UK, seeing how crazy the fans are and just see how he comes back because he’s not getting any younger.
“He’s, what, 35, 36? Maybe older? Let’s see how he comes back.
“It’ll be a totally different fight, I’ve said it, my coaches have said it. I’ve never lost in the UK, amateur or pro, so I’m excited.
“I love fighting in front of my friends and my family. If he thinks he’s going in there and it’s going to be the same fight, he’s in for a rude awakening.” - Leon Edwards
From Kingston to King ✏️📄 @birmzisgrime
