'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Light heavyweight fighter Anthony Smith believes British welterweight Leon Edwards is a more "well rounded" fighter than champion Kamaru Usman. However, he admits that Edwards' lack of one-punch knockout power is a cause for concern.
In a rematch of their 2015 clash, 'Rocky' will step into the octagon once again with 'The Nigerian Nightmare'. Usman won the first fight via unanimous decision and relied heavily on his wrestling, easily controlling the Brit and comfortably winning on the judges' scorecards.
Speaking on the Believe You Me podcast, 'Lionheart' admitted that the skills of both the fighters have improved, but the challenger's lack of power worried him:
"I like Leon Edwards a lot. I like his style. It's a tough fight, it's a tough fight for him, especially with the wrestling game of [Kamaru] Usman... I think overall, Leon [Edwards] might be the better, well-rounded fighter, but I think the wrestling ability [of Usman], I think that's going to give Leon some problems. The stopping ability of Leon does give me some pause... He's not the one-punch knockout guy typically. He's not a huge jiu-jitsu guy. He's got to work on being a little more threatening."
Trending
The pair will meet again at UFC 278 on August 20 in a long-awaited title fight for Edwards. 'Rocky', who hasn't lost in the octagon since his defeat to Usman, is undefeated in his last 10 UFC appearances.
'The Nigerian Nightmare' will be looking to extend his welterweight title-defense run to six fights, with the aim of chasing down Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre's record of nine. Should Edwards cause an upset and defeat Usman, he will become the UK's second-ever UFC champion, behind Michael Bisping. He will also put an end to the Nigerian-American's 20-fight winning run.
Watch Anthony Smith break down Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman here:
Leon Edwards is confident he won't be outwrestled by Kamaru Usman
Ahead of his first title fight against Usman at UFC 278, Leon Edwards has assured fans that their rematch won't be anything like the first fight. The Jamaican-born Brit admitted to relying too heavily on his stand-up the first time around and is looking forward to surprising fans who have already written him off.
Confident that his skills as a fighter have only improved, 'Rocky' believes his wrestling in the octagon is at a level where he won't struggle against the welterweight champion.
Speaking on the Blockparty podcast, Leon Edwards vowed to prove his doubters wrong:
"I'm looking forward to going out there and proving the world wrong. I know everyone thinks I'm going to get outwrestled... That won't be the case. I promise you. I cannot wait man."
It looks as though fans already writing 'Rocky' off are only motivating the 31-year-old more. Not only is this rematch for the welterweight title, but both men are also putting long undefeated streaks on the line.
Catch Edwards' comments ahead of his rematch with Kamaru Usman here:
