Leon Edwards is aware of he wasn’t at his greatest when he misplaced his UFC welterweight title to Belal Muhammad this previous July.
The now former champion, and his head coach Dave Lovell, have each spoken out concerning the circumstances surrounding that battle, primarily the extremely odd timing with the primary occasion strolling to the octagon at round 5 a.m. native time. Edwards claimed his reactions were “slow”, and Lovell went so far as saying that he solely noticed “30 to 40 percent” of his fighter that evening.
Retired UFC welterweight Matt Brown sympathizes with all of the struggles Edwards confronted that evening, as a result of he handled any variety of points that performed a component in a few of his hardest losses. The issue is airing these grievances after the actual fact simply isn’t look.
“I perceive the place Leon’s coming from, particularly being in his residence nation,” Brown stated on the most recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “He’s definitely accustomed to a sure rhythm, a routine of sleeping and waking. Belal coming from one other nation, there’s some pleasure and every thing’s new. The time zone is new. You’re going to be adjusting to the time zone regardless.
“I suppose I may see it just a little bit, however we’re proper on monitor with the identical factor we at all times say. You possibly can’t take away from Belal. He fought wonderful in that battle. That’s a part of being a fighter. It’s important to cope with shit like that. Issues like which have thrown me off previously, too, 100% throughout fights. I do know it. I don’t essentially say it publicly. However it’s factual. It does occur however that’s being a fighter.”
There’s an outdated adage amongst fighters that generally you must be your greatest in your worst evening.
Brown is aware of there’s quite a few examples all through his 15 years spent competing within the UFC the place he confronted some exterior the cage subject that in the end affected his efficiency. Most of the time, The Final Fighter season 7 alum knew the distinction between profitable and dropping didn’t at all times simply come all the way down to abilities or potential.
However Brown additionally acknowledges that regardless of how a lot brutal honesty Edwards and his coach are dispensing after a troublesome loss, the response from followers, fighters and the media is at all times going to be the identical.
“There’s at all times a cause why you lose, no matter that cause is,” Brown defined. “There’s a cause. While you communicate it out loud, it’s an excuse. It doesn’t matter what it was. There’s simply no method round that. It turns into an excuse.
“You simply don’t communicate it out loud, in my view. Imagine me, I’m not attempting to make it about myself, however talking alone expertise, each loss I’ve ever had I may provide you with legit the explanation why it occurred. There’s only a few the place you stroll away, and the man was merely higher than me. There’s cause that goes into each time. You understand that you might have performed it. While you say it out loud, it’s an excuse.”
In Edwards’ scenario, preventing at a particularly odd hour could have been what value him the possibility to retain his belt in a 3rd straight title protection. As an alternative, he was repeatedly taken down and managed for giant parts of the battle as Muhammad executed an almost flawless technique to counter and defeat him.
That loss is clearly going to sting as a result of Edwards had a lot using on that battle so Brown undoubtedly understands the will to pinpoint a cause why all that occurred.
Sadly, Brown believes addressing it publicly goes to look dangerous regardless of the way you body it.
“Leon being the champion and dropping, after all he’s going to low cost what Belal did,” Brown stated. “He’s in search of solutions for why did he lose, and clearly that’s what he’s chalking it as much as, a minimum of publicly. Possibly in non-public there’s different issues. However I believe it’s a legit reply for him. Possibly Belal needed to cope with the identical factor. Had Belal misplaced perhaps he would have used the identical excuse, used the identical reasoning.
“The very fact is once more, you may phrase it nonetheless you need, once you carry it up, it’s an excuse. There may be legitimately causes numerous instances why you misplaced that aren’t just because the man was higher. However you simply don’t say something about it.”
On Saturday — at a way more cheap time — Edwards returns for a battle towards Sean Brady the place a win may doubtlessly catapult him again into title rivalry or presumably knock him method additional again with a loss. That’s the place Edwards will get to probability to indicate his loss to Muhammad was a fluke relatively than trying to elucidate the place all of it went unsuitable.
“It’s not do or die, however it’s enormous implications on this battle,” Brown stated. “Leon has a protracted street forward if he finally ends up dropping this battle. The identical for Brady. If he loses this battle, he’s most likely going to be have a look at as a terrific fighter that by no means received to the title, a kind of guys — form of like myself — a kind of guys. He’ll form of be in that class. He received’t be anticipated to make it to the title. Simply the alternative in the event that they win.
“If both one wins, they’re undoubtedly knocking on the door, and we all know how this recreation is. You would find yourself getting a title battle at any time, but in addition, you’d suppose they be in a minimum of a title contender match after a win right here.”
