Kamaru Usman Lauds Leon Edwards and Previews His Fight Against Khamzat Chimaev

UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, spoke to TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter and shared his candid views on an upcoming match-up. Divisional contender Leon Edwards welcomes Khamzat Chimaev to the upper echelon of the division in their Fight Night main event. The bout has been in the works for a meaningful period of time before finally coming together as a booking.

Chiefly, the two were supposed to round out 2020 with a marquee main event bout, however, Edwards fell out. Their next booking on January 20, 2021, was also canceled as Chimaev was the one who wasn’t in the picture any longer. The fight has been hyped up considerably by the fans and fighters themselves, and it promises to be an exciting affair.

Kamaru Usman previews Leon Edwards vs Khamzat Chimaev

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ made sure to give his props to both the welterweight contenders who are set to scrap. Not to mention, he gave a comprehensive insight to Bronsteter about ‘Borz’ Chimaev who has made a lot of noise. In fact, he’s arguably the hottest active star on the roster who fans are looking forward to watching.

“It is what it is. I think he’s a guy that’s done great with what he’s been presented with. The opposition that’s been thrown his way, he’s passed with flying colors. More power to him, he’s been doing a great job. This is just another opportunity for him to go out there and prove it, and if he’s able to prove it, he lets everyone know that hey, maybe I belong up there with some of those top guys.”

Also Read: ‘We Were Never Close Friends’- Gilbert Burns Breaks Down His Relationship with Kamaru Usman

Usman lifts up Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards

Usman also lauded Leon Edwards, who’s the frontrunner to compete for UFC championship gold. Chiefly, Usman and Edwards fought each other, and Kamaru Usman came out on top. However, since losing to the eventual champion, ‘Rocky’ Edwards went on a tear and is riding an 8-fight win streak.

“Yeah, styles make fights. It’s a good match-up, and it’s also a good one for Leon Edwards because it lets Leon know that hey…Leon’s been working quietly for a long, long time and now you’ve got a guy that has a lot of noise coming with him, you go out there and you vanquish that guy.”

“You let everyone know ‘hey, that noise needs to be put on me. As far as proving himself, Leon has proven himself that he can beat some of those upper-echelon guys.”

The aforementioned match-up is extremely crucial from a standpoint that both men have plenty to gain and lose. A loss would offset Chimaev’s hype and Edwards would suffer greatly in the eye of the fans if he loses brutally to the 9-0 fighter.