It is safe to say that the recently concluded UFC London’s main event was more lopsided than a one-way street. The 18,583 strong inside the O2 arena were witnesses to a mauling like no other. A matchup that was meant to pave the way for Leon Edwards to inch closer to the 170lbs throne proved to be a nightmare. Courtesy of the new #1 ranked contender, Sean Brady! Moreover, the event saw ‘Rocky’ being finished for the first time in his pro-MMA career. Talk about taking too many Ls in a single night! Talk about a bummer! While the gold is nowhere to be seen in the foreseeable future, a brigade of critics has piled on the former champ. Enter Din Thomas as the latest inductee!
The cageside coach who was present in Brady’s corner at UFC London, has compelled ‘Rocky’ to come to terms with a reality check. Edwards’ lack of aggression was the primary reason MMA experts picked as the leading cause for his losses in crucial fights. He showed glimpses of urgency in the first round, but from the second round onwards, the Philly native effortlessly rag-dolled him until the fourth, where ‘Rocky’ admitted defeat by tapping out to a suffocating mounted guillotine.
Questions about the Brit’s willingness to push himself had already arisen before this anticipated bout, largely owing to his lackluster outing against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304. But this was a new low! Thomas, not merely Brady’s cornerman, but also a veteran of the sport highlighted a critical issue with Edwards’s approach that pertains more to his mindset than any other aspect.
Appearing on the ‘On Paper’ podcast with Anthony Smith, Thomas stated: “It’s tough man! Because I don’t want to be disrespectful towards Leon. Because I still believe, skill for skill, like his body type and all that, he was a great champion, a great fighter, still top 05 material. But, I don’t think Leon in his heart is a true fighter, and I say in terms of that, like Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, like these guys will fight you in a parking lot. I think he’s an athlete, I think he’s a performer, I think he’s creative. I think in the gym, he probably eats up everybody. He’s super magical. I just think when the lights come out and it’s time for him to really fight, despite not being a true fighter, he was still that good.”
Din effectively highlighted two of the most prominent names in the lightweight division, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, to demonstrate the necessary shift in mindset. Former middleweight champion Michael Bisping and current interim champion Tom Aspinall have both expressed their desire for Edwards to push through his limits to secure a victory in this fight. However, Brady ultimately proved to be too much to handle!
The Philly native attempted seven takedowns and successfully completed five of them. In addition, he landed 221 out of 295 total strikes. ‘Rocky,’ who couldn’t tap into his inner ‘Balboa,’ retaliated with 23/35 total strikes. If that’s not a proper beatdown, it’s hard to say what is. If you’re getting profoundly enraged by reading these stats, don’t worry, another expected welterweight personality wants Leon Edwards to retire after his last performance!
Colby Covington wants Leon Edwards to hang up his gloves after abysmal UFC London performance
The main critic of the former welterweight champion is none other than ‘Chaos’ himself. Despite being on a career decline, Colby Covington is providing the provocative suggestion that his former rival should consider retiring from the sport following his disappointing performance at the UFC London event.
The former interim champ had his opportunity to claim the welterweight title he had pursued throughout his career. After falling short twice against Kamaru Usman, he faced Leon Edwards at UFC 296 for another chance at the strap. Ultimately, he was unable to overcome that final hurdle and faced similar criticisms for his lackluster performance, much like those that Edwards is receiving now.
‘Chaos’ believes that, despite putting the past behind them, ‘Rocky’ lost his motivation to fight during their matchup. He claims that the Englishman has earned too much money since the infamous press conference, where Covington made controversial remarks about his father.
In an interview with Submission Radio, Covington stated: “I kind of thought that after I fought Leon, the motivation wasn’t there anymore. I mean, I could tell in the fight. Like, I broke my foot immediately, and he did nothing. He didn’t try and come after me. He just, you know, tried to point coast to a decision. So, I could tell after that fight, he just wasn’t hungry anymore. He’s made too much money. I made him too much money at that press conference. So, yeah, I just don’t think he’s motivated anymore, and he should hang them up.”
What do you think? Is Din Thomas’s criticism of Leon Edwards valid? Drop your comments below.
The post “Not a True Fighter” – Din Thomas Forces Leon Edwards to Swallow Tough Pill After Humiliating Loss appeared first on EssentiallySports.
