Edwards eyes fourth bout against Usma

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Peter Akinbo

UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards isn’t ruling out the possibility of a fourth fight against Kamaru Usman.

On March 18, Edwards successfully defended the welterweight title for the first time with a majority decision against Usman. The win at UFC 286 was Edwards’ second consecutive win against ‘The Nigerian Nightmare,’ making the series 2-1 in his favor.

During an interview with Sky Sports, Edwards was asked if he would fight Usman for a fourth time.

“Let’s see where his hunger is at. He did achieve quite a lot in this sport, so is he as hungry as he used to be to wanna go again and go for another run for the title? We’ll see. If he does, then yeah, surely, why not? Let’s see where he’s at,” Edwards said.

Before fighting Edwards at UFC 278, Usman won 15 consecutive fights under the UFC banner. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ was one minute away from extending his winning streak before ‘Rocky’ landed the legendary head kick to become the UFC welterweight champion. The 35-year-old former champion must now decide whether he wants to get back to a title shot or retire in the near future.

Meanwhile, Edwards is currently on top of the world. The Birmingham native was underestimated throughout his UFC career before silencing the doubters against Usman. Dana White confirmed that Edwards’ second title defense will be against Colby Covington, but the date hasn’t been announced.

During the same interview with Sky Sports, Edwards voiced his interest in headlining UFC 294, “In the last year or so, I’ve fought three times, I think. For me now, I’d love to fight towards the end of the year,. The Abu Dhabi card would be great. I think that would be the perfect timing.”

Edwards also mentioned that he would fight in July if offered enough money. On July 22, the UFC takes a trip to the O2 Arena in London, England. There was hope for the Brit to compete at that event, but he doesn’t seem interested in a quick turnaround.