Leon Edwards ready to open door of retirement for Kamaru Usman

Leon Edwards is preparing to make the first defense of his welterweight title in a trilogy clash against Kamaru Usman this weekend, and the Brit believes his opponent is approaching the finish line of his illustrious career in the sport.

'Rocky' shocked the world when he became the first man to knock long-term champion 'The Nigerian Nightmare' out when the two met at UFC 278 last year. Prior to the defeat, the wrestler was on a 19-fight win streak and hadn't lost in the cage since his second professional fight nine years prior.

As he discussed the differences in their mindsets, Leon Edwards insisted that Kamaru Usman is on his way out and will be allowed to lay down the gloves when the pair locks horns for the third time on March 13.

"I heard he [Usman] flew a stylist over and stuff. That's what I'm saying. Our mentalities are just [in] two different places. I feel like he's on his way out and I'm just gonna open that door for him and give him another path to follow his fashion dreams and wherever [else] he wants to go."

Heading into his rematch with Edwards, Usman was widely believed to be the greatest fighter on the planet and was arguably closing in on the greatest-of all-time status in his division.

Despite not having as much hype as others in the weight class, the Brit is unbeaten since 2015 when his clear inexperience in the grappling department was exposed by the TUF 21 winner, ultimately molding their half-decade-long rivalry.

Check out what Leon Edwards had to say about a potential Kamaru Usman retirement in the video below.

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What's next after Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3?

The pair are set to complete their highly-anticipated trilogy clash this weekend. Kamaru Usman has teased a move-up in weight but is also keen to cement his legacy in the sport at welterweight. While rumors have begun circling surrounding his potential retirement from MMA, the African powerhouse could potentially still accomplish much in the sport, given his age of 35.

The division is stacked full of killers waiting to be called upon for their chance at UFC gold. Alongside welterweight mainstays Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad, there are a number of elite prospects in the form of Khamzat Chimaev and Shavkat Rakhmonov who are both hungry for gold.