"If he could just kind of push on the gas pedal" - Laura Sanko believes Leon Edwards should have taken "a couple risks" against Nate Diaz

UFC on ESPN analyst & reporter Laura Sanko has claimed that Leon Edwards should have taken some more risks against Nate Diaz at UFC 263.

Edwards fought Nate Diaz for the first ever non-title, non-main event five-round fight at the June 2021 pay-per-view. While he dominated the majority of the fight, his complacency almost cost him in the very last minute of the fight.

'Rocky' later claimed that he was too bored and satisfied with the win, which presented the opening to Nate Diaz. Edwards still won convincingly, with three 49-46 scorecards.

One constant criticism of Edwards' performances has been a perceived lack of finishing instinct in his fights. Laura Sanko touched upon Edwards' unwillingness to take risks on the One on One YouTube channel, saying:

"Like against Nate, you watch that fight and there's a little sense of frustration. Man, if he would've just found the gas pedal, he could've finished Nate. And then the last round comes, and it's like holy sh*t he just got cracked."

She added:

"I think there were moments earlier on in that fight when he could've taken a couple of risks and gone on there to finish Nate."

Watch the video below:

Edwards will face Kamaru Usman for the second time at UFC 278 for the welterweight title. The event is set to go down this Saturday in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Leon Edwards reveals why Nate Diaz didn't go for the finish after rocking him at UFC 263

Leon Edwards defeated Nate Diaz at UFC 263 with a dominant display, but the fight is mostly remembered for a different reason.

In the concluding moments of the fight, the Stockton native landed a flush one-two combination through Edwards' guard that had him in all sorts of trouble. 'Rocky' was wobbled and dazed, but Diaz failed to capitalize on the moment and the Brit survived.

Although Edwards won convincingly, questions about the final round at UFC 263 are still prevalent. During an interview with CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri, the upcoming welterweight title challenger had this to say about Diaz not going for the finish:

"Nate is just Nate, you know. First shot caught me was the kill shot. After that, I recovered... It would have ended the same way."

Edwards will look forward to burying that moment in the past with a memorable performance against Kamaru Usman at UFC 278.

Watch Leon Edwards' interview with CBS Sports below: