It took one loss after a 12-fight winning streak for the world to doubt Leon Edwards‘ capabilities. When he knocked out Kamaru Usman in one of the most spectacular come-from-behind victories at UFC 278, the world put ‘Rocky’ on a pedestal. His two title defenses also had him in the good books of fight fans. But when he met Belal Muhammad at UFC 304, it all changed. Leon Edwards, at one point in the fight, looked like he didn’t want to be in there with ‘Remember the Name. And now, ahead of his fight against Sean Brady at UFC Fight Night 255, interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall shed more light on his mentality.

On the night of UFC 304 last July, it was clear that ‘Rocky’ struggled to push beyond his limits in his last fight. He struggled to stave off the onslaught of Belal Muhammad for five rounds. It’s not like he doesn’t have the capacity to show up and perform. It’s his mentality that gets in his way. At least that’s what his “good friend” Tom Aspinall observed.

Speaking to Adam Catterall and Taekwondo Olympic medalist Lutalo Muhammad on TNT Sports, the British interim heavyweight champion said, “I think stylistically it is a bad matchup for Leon. I would never go against Leon. Leon is my friend, and I will always support Leon in what he does. I think Leon can definitely win the fight, as long as he can put his foot on the gas in them boring spots.”

He further added, “Sometimes, I think that the fight slips away from Leon when he is not active, his opponent has a little better position than him. So, as long as Leon comes out aggressive, and I’m sure he’s gonna wanna show—like he’s more aggressive and desperate for a win in comparison to his last fight where he did lose. I think that he’s going to be keen to show that. I think that Leon can take the win comfortably.”

Tom Aspinall‘s assessment of Leon Edwards’ approach to the fight is pretty spot on, don’t you think? If ‘Rocky’ gets sloppy against a dangerous opponent like Sean Brady, if he finds it difficult to put his foot on the gas; his chances of reaching the championship will greatly diminish, as he’ll lose his #1 spot on the rankings. We also have to keep in mind the list of title contenders Edwards will have to get behind if he loses—Jack Della Maddalena, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and Sean Brady, who would have snatched his #1 spot.

However, a win from here would definitely re-ignite his title aspirations. Finally, Leon will be at the forefront to reclaim the welterweight belt, which he firmly believes doesn’t look good on the current 170 lbs champ Belal Muhammad.

Leon Edwards rants at Belal Muhammad for not looking good with the championship belt

Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad are not necessarily sworn enemies, but, they definitely harbor a little animosity towards each other. This is particularly true for Edwards, who still remains quite livid following his defeat against ‘Remember the Name’.

Both have fought each other on two occasions, with their first match being declared a no-contest due to an eye poke, and Belal being the victor of the most recent encounter. ‘Rocky’ realizes that he’s very close to his redemption, and even before settling the business with Brady this weekend, he is directing the verbal assaults at the current champion.

Leon Edwards, in an interview with Ariel Helwani, revealed the frustration he has to face while witnessing Belal with a championship belt, by saying, “Every time I see him on Twitter for f*** sake. He said to me, he said ‘If he lost, he would’ve retired. Oh mate, I wish that guy f**** retired, because, he’s annoying. I doesn’t look right on him, the belt, you know.”

Will the Leon Edwards who fought Usman and Covington recently show up against Sean Brady? Or will we see a repeat of the second clash between Edwards and the reigning welterweight champion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.