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Leon Edwards' father became the center of attention at the UFC 296 pre-fight press conference after Colby Covington mentioned him to spark the event's most explosive moment.
At the pre-fight press conference, Covington took the opportunity to aim a deeply personal and distasteful remark about the Brit's late father.
"On Saturday night, I'm going to bring you to a place you never want to be. I'm going to bring you to the seventh level of hell. We'll say what's up to your dad while we're there."
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Watch Leon Edwards' reaction to Colby Covington's remarks below (3:00):
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The UFC welterweight champion flew into a rage in response to his opponent's trash talk, throwing a water bottle at him, which nearly sparked a brawl. Fortunately, the intervention of security prevented the potential melee from escalating any further, and cooler heads prevailed.
Covington's crass comments rekindled the memories of Edwards' painful past, resulting in him reacting aggressively.
What happened to Leon Edwards' father?
Leon Edwards had a tough upbringing owing to the environment he grew up in. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Edwards was exposed to a life of crime and violence from an early age due to the nature of his surroundings. When he was nine years old, Edwards' family moved to Birmingham, England.
Edwards said in an interview with The Guardian:
"In Jamaica, killing seemed normal. We were used to gunshots and death all around us.” [H/T The Guardian]
His late father was allegedly involved in questionable activities and a life of crime in the UK. According to Edwards, his father did the best he could with the cards that he was dealt in life and enabled the family to have a decent life. However, he admits that he made wrong choices in life.
Edwards' father was a gang leader in the Aston Area of Birmingham where they lived. 'Rocky' was merely 13 years old when his father was shot dead in a nightclub on October 2, 2004.
The loss created a void in young Leon's life and being surrounded by many people with a criminal mindset, he was also involved in street violence and weapon possession among other illegal activities. But a newfound passion for MMA helped him change the course of his life.
Leon Edwards' mother played crucial role in getting his life back on track after father's death
Leon Edwards was on his way to getting entangled in a life of crime and violence after his father's demise. That changed when Edwards' mother took him to an MMA gym. 'Rocky' instantly fell in love with the sport and soon developed a passion for it.
Training MMA helped him escape the life of crime and gave him a career path. Following his title win against Kamaru Usman at UFC 278, Edwards called his mother to celebrate the victory.
The tumultuous phase of Edwards' life was documented in a heartwarming documentary short by BT Sport ahead of his comeback fight against Belal Muhammad in March 2021.
Check it out below:
