When did Leon Edwards win the belt?

Leon Edwards is riding high on his newfound success in the elite professional mixed martial arts organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). After his debut as a professional in mixed martial arts in 2011, Edwards faced an initial setback when he faced his first professional loss in his third professional bout. He was defeated by Delroy McDowell on February 25, 2012, at Fight UK MMA: Fight UK 6 by disqualification (illegal knee).

Leon Edwards remained unfazed and steered his way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) by piling up a six-fight winning streak in his favor. His promotional debut in the promotion didn’t go according to his plans as he suffered a split decision loss against Claudio Silva at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux on November 8, 2014. He found his momentum in his next two fights and recovered from his loss, only to suffer another loss.

Leon Edwards' Championship Win

Leon Edwards won the welterweight championship by defeating Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 by a fifth-round TKO (head kick). Before his loss, Usman was cruising on a dominant 19-fight-long winning run and was moments away from tying the record of Anderson Silva, who won 16 fights in succession in the UFC. Leon Edwards not only ended his championship run but also defended his title against Usman in a rematch at UFC 286 by defeating him via unanimous decision. However, he lost the title to Belal Muhammad in 2024.

Is Leon Edwards the first UK Champion?

Leon Edwards became the second champion from the United Kingdom after he defeated Kamaru Usman by shutting his lights off dramatically in the fifth round of the fight with a head kick. Michael Bisping became the first British champion when he defeated middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in 2016. Bisping had moved to South Carolina, USA, and trained and lived there before pulling this feat. Edwards has lived in the United Kingdom and trains at Team Renegade in Birmingham, England.

Last updated on March 22, 2025.