Leon Edwards wants his journey to inspire the next generation

Leon Edwards has risen to glory against the odds, realizing his destiny this year by becoming the UFC welterweight champion. 'Rocky' hopes that the path he has taken will inspire those from similar backgrounds to pursue their dreams with vigour.

Edwards was involved in one of the most spectacular moments in UFC history this year. His knockout win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 has been etched in the history books as one of the greatest comebacks, and upsets, of all time.

'Rocky' was recently interviewed by The Sun, and stated that he hoped his story would motivate the younger generation who face the same hardship he did:

"It's a prideful thing for me, and to show kids that it's not where you start, it's where you finish. If you find something you love, it doesn't have to be MMA, and dedicate yourself to it, plan and work hard, you can achieve something. You don't have to die where start, you know."

Watch the video below:

Leon Edwards was born in Jamaica, and was surrounded by crime from his inception due to his father's lifestyle. He moved to England at the age of nine, and resided in Birmingham. His father was killed when 'Rocky' was 13 years old, and Edwards proceeded to follow in his dad's footsteps.

But at the age of 17 his mother forced him to join an MMA gym, and the rest is history.

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Leon Edwards receives immense praise from Conor McGregor

Leon Edwards' victory was arguably the highlight of the UFC's year. The fight will forever be remembered as one of the most astounding moments in the promotion's history, as almost no one expected 'Rocky' to come out on top.

The UFC's MMA year has finally come to an end, and various annual awards cermonies have begun to take place. According to Conor McGregor, Edwards' knockout win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 deserves to be the 'Everything of the Year'.

'The Notorious' took to Twitter to share his opinion on the performance of 'Rocky' earlier this year, and said the following:

"Stop the nonsense “comeback” of the year , this is EVERYTHING of the year! Bar none. The timing of commentary. The timing of the fight. The shot itself. The KO. The ramifications. The post speech. Pound for pound head shot. Dead! This lives on!"

See the tweet below: