Leon Edwards aims to become the UFC’s first two-division champion from the UK and is eyeing a move to the middleweight division after defending his welterweight title, with potential challengers including Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis.
Leon Edwards is eyeing a move to middleweight after his upcoming fight against Colby Covington in December. The current welterweight champion is not content with staying at 170 pounds and sees the opportunity to become a dual-division champion. He is particularly interested in facing the winner of the middleweight title fight between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Edwards expressed his enthusiasm for the prospect of moving up to middleweight, stating, “100 percent, definitely. I feel especially with someone like [Sean] Strickland, and I think he’s fighting [Dricus] Du Plessis soon, so either of them two would be great to fight. I’m big myself. I feel like that would be perfect.”
Strickland is set to defend his middleweight title on January 20 in Toronto, with several contenders vying for a shot at the championship, including Khamzat Chimaev and Belal Muhammad. Despite potential obstacles, Edwards is optimistic about his chances of becoming a two-division UFC champion, expressing his desire for the monumental UFC 300 card in early 2024, stating, “The division right now, there’s no one that’s exciting in the division so for me to go out there to do that, that would be perfect. UFC 300, I like that. To put me on that card would be massive.”
Before focusing on a potential move to middleweight, Edwards must first navigate his upcoming fight against Covington. If he emerges victorious, he will be well-positioned to pursue his goal of challenging for the UFC middleweight championship.