‘Rocky’ Leon Edwards is confident heading into his UFC 286 world title trilogy showdown against Kamaru Usman. The English fighter is looking to defend his welterweight throne and retire ‘The Nigerian Nightmare.’

Fans have eager to see the trilogy match between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman. Last year, ‘Rocky’ was able to capture the welterweight throne with a stunning head kick knockout against the reigning world champion. Now, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is seeking to avenge this loss but Edwards’s confidence is unyielding.

READ MORE:  Conor McGregor touts himself as the GOAT ahead of UFC return: 'I'm growing a goatee cause I'm the f*ckin' GOAT'

Leon Edwards looking to retire Kamaru Usman

‘Rocky’ will be competing in front of a home nation audience at UFC 286 which is hosted in London, England at the O2 Arena. Regarding the retirement plans against Usman, in an interview with The Daily Star, he explained:

“[Usman] is on his way out, and I’m just gonna open that door for him to go and pursue his fashion dream. Whether he retires after or not, that’s up to him.”

Leon Edwards accomplished his dream by capturing the UFC world title. On what this UFC crown means to him, he explained:

READ MORE:  Dana White suggests Leon Edwards doesn't want to fight wrestler next amid rejection of Colby Covington clash

“It feels good. I went through a mad patch when everyone was avoiding me. They didn’t want to fight me but I took the hard route to get to where I wanted to get to and I achieved my goal. They say that when you become the champion you get 30% better and I truly felt that. I felt like I’ve got better physically and mentally.”

‘Rocky’ also likes the sound of performing in front of a UK audience. He added:

READ MORE:  Khamzat Chimaev claims Alex Pereira turned down title fight with before UFC 287: 'It's the easiest fight for me'

“I know how good I am and what I can do. For me it’s about what I can do for my family and my friends, the people that are close to me that are going to be there. I haven’t fought in the UK for about four years, so for me to come back as a champion and defend my belt in front of them that gives me added motivation and energy.”

Timothy Wheaton is a combat sports writer who covers MMA, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. He has been an avid follower of these sports since 2005. Tim has even covered the UFC, GLORY Kickboxing, and Bellator in person at live events. With Low Kick MMA, Tim has contributed interviews, articles, and podcasts. Tim also works with a host of other media sites such as Calf Kick Sports, Sportskeeda MMA, MMA Sucka, Vecht Sport Info, Fighters First, and Beyond Kickboxing. Tim is is the authority on kickboxing and MMA journalist who has covered K-1, PRIDE FC, UFC, GLORY Kickboxing, Bellator, ONE Championship, and plenty more.