Leon Edwards made a firm request to the UFC before agreeing to headline UFC London.
The Birmingham fighter is the main attraction at UFC Fight Night 255 at the O2 Arena this Saturday, where he will face rising contender Sean Brady.
Credit: GETTY
Credit: GETTY
Credit: PA
This fight marks Edwards` first appearance since losing his welterweight title to Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 in Manchester last July.
Edwards, 33, was defeated in the early hours of the morning because the UFC scheduled the pay-per-view event to suit North American viewers.
Before accepting the main event slot at the O2, he clearly told the UFC that he would not fight on American time again when competing in the UK.
During an interview on The Ariel Hewlani Show, he commented on the timing for this weekend`s fight: “Never again.”
“The first thing [the UFC] mentioned to me was, ‘We’re returning to the UK in March.’ I asked, ‘OK, what time will the fight be?’”
“They replied: ‘Normal time,’ and I said, 'Perfect, let’s do it.’”
Edwards believes the late start time significantly contributed to the end of his reign as the UK's second UFC champion.
He explained: “That 4am/5am walkout was crazy. I tried hard to get into it, but I just couldn’t.
“I felt like my reactions were slow. In my head, I knew what I wanted to do and what I had trained for.
“However, for some reason, my body and mind were not as synchronized as they usually are in fights.”
“I walked out around 5am. It didn`t help me warm up or realize, ‘You’ve got to fight now!’”
“Even though he won, it was still a close fight even on my worst day. He won three rounds, and I won two… Even when I’m not at my best, it was still close.”
A dominant victory over Brady could set Edwards up for a second shot at the 170lb title, which Muhammad will defend against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 in May.
However, he might need another win if the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov recovers from his injury.
