Leon Edwards believes statement win against Sean Brady jumps him over Shavkat Rakhmonov for title shot

Leon Edwards only has his sights set on beating Sean Brady in the UFC London main event on Saturday, but he also fully understands what an impressive win could do for him.

His return to action marks the first time Edwards has competed since losing the UFC welterweight title to Belal Muhammad this past July and he’s more motivated than ever to get back there again. The 33-year-old veteran documented how a bizarre start time for that fight—around 5 a.m. in England—and some nagging injuries prevented him from putting on his best performance.

That’s why Edwards is adamant about going out and laying waste to Brady so he can get another crack at the title sooner rather than later.

“That’s where my head is at,” Edwards told MMA Fighting. “Obviously, I’m focused right now on Sean Brady this weekend. From there, is toward the title. That’s what my focus is on.”

Edwards was initially slated to face Australian slugger Jack Della Maddalena on Saturday, but Della Maddalena was pulled for a title shot against Muhammad instead after top-ranked welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov was unable to compete due to injury.

There’s no word yet on how long Rakhmonov might be sidelined, but Edwards knows the UFC is all about timing and opportunity so if he can dispatch Brady impressively, he might just jump the line.

“I feel that’s exactly where we’re at,” Edwards said. “I feel like everything is lining up. The MMA gods are putting it all in line for me to get my belt back. But it all starts on Saturday night. I go out there and take care of business, see what happens from there.”

Edwards can’t make any plans until he gets through Brady. Assuming all goes well, he’s even willing to stay ready for May just in case something happens to Della Maddalena.

“You never know,” Edwards said. “Injuries happens, stuff happens. It’s a crazy game that we’re in so stay ready and see what happens.”

Because Rakhmonov was unavailable to fight in May, Edwards knows there’s a real chance to usurp his position if he shows out against Brady. While there were certainly no complaints about Rakhmonov getting a title shot, his most recent win over Ian Machado Garry was a lot closer than many expected. Before that fight, Rakhmonov had a 100 percent finishing rate, which included six straight wins in the UFC.

He wasn’t able to do the same to Garry, who hung tough with him across all five rounds and nearly pulled off a late finish after taking Rakhmonov’s back on the ground where he searched for submissions.

For his part, Edwards never backs down from any challenge so he certainly wasn’t avoiding Rakhmonov. However, that fight against Garry definitely gave him a few ideas about how that matchup might go if they meet one day.

“From what I remember, it wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be,” Edwards said about Rakhmonov vs. Garry. “Obviously the way they were talking Shavkat up, this boogeyman in the division. It was just the average fight. It wasn’t a barnburner that everyone thought it was going to be.

“I know they trained together before so maybe that’s the reason why they were more wary of each other’s style. But there’s definitely holes in their game, Shavkat’s game and Ian’s game. I think that shows in that fight.”

As much as he wants to get back to the title or address other potential contenders in the division, Edwards knows first and foremost his attention needs to be trained solely on Brady.

He just hopes Brady shows up ready to fight because Edwards is confident that their matchup presents the perfect opportunity to deliver a highlight-reel finish in front of a home audience.

“I feel like Sean will engage,” Edwards said. “He will give the opportunity to get the finish and that’s where I’m at. I’m looking to go out there and get a finish over him and prove to the world I am still the best welterweight in the division.

“I feel like the way he fights, there’s going to be a lot of openings for me to hurt him and I’m looking forward to it.”