"It's not where you start..." - Leon Edwards shares inspiring message after being invited to speak at Oxford University

Leon Edwards reached the pinnacle of MMA when he knocked out Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 to become the welterweight champion.

Edwards' story is an incredibly inspiring one, and 'Rocky' has spoken about his rise from the trenches, surrounded by poverty and crime, to become the world champion. Edwards has previously stated that he wants his journey to inspire others, and he penned a similar sentiment when reflecting on being invited to speak at the prestigious Oxford University.

Leon Edwards took to Instagram to share the moment and said this:

"It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. Today I spoke at the prestigious Oxford University. My life didn’t lead me to education, but I’m working hard so that my family can have opportunities to learn and grow in places like this"

See the post below:

Leon Edwards successfully defended the welterweight title against Kamaru Usman in their trilogy matchup at UFC 286. 'Rocky' won the bout via majority decision and cemented his position as the best welterweight in the promotion.

It appears that Edwards will face perennial contender Colby Covington in his next outing, as UFC president Dana White indicated that 'Chaos' was the No.1 contender following UFC 286.

But the situation has become more complicated following the champion's declaration that Covington doesn't deserve a title shot.

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Leon Edwards explains why he doesn't believe Colby Covington should be next

Leon Edwards is currently without an opponent following his victory over Kamaru Usman at UFC 286 in London. However, all signs appear to point towards Colby Covington being the next man in line for a title shot.

'Rocky' has openly stated that he believes it would be unfair to award Covington a title shot based on his recent activity.

Edwards pointed to his own journey as an example of someone who was willing to fight anyone in order to get closer to an illustrious title shot. 'Rocky' believes that Colby Covington has hand-picked his opponents, something that can't be condoned if he wants to be a bonafide contender in the champion's eyes.

Covington has fought once in 2021 and 2022 against Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal respectively. 'Chaos' was defeated by Usman, but more recently won his bout against 'Gamebred' via unanimous decision.

During a recent interview with Sky Sports, Leon Edwards said this:

"Colby has been uninjured, sitting on the sidelines [and] turning down fights for over a year. No body else has done that and earnt a title shot doing it. That's the 'why not'. I feel like if you believe you're a champion, you should fight all the guys that have been offered to you... I took [an offer to fight] Khamzat [Chimaev] three times... He hasn't earnt his position..."

Watch the video below from 11:10: