Usman requests trilogy fight vs. Edwards in London
Kamaru Usman wants to cross the pond in his quest to regain the UFC welterweight title.
Usman requested a trilogy fight with Leon Edwards in the reigning champion's home country of England, his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, confirmed to ESPN's Marc Raimondi on Tuesday.
"I swear to everything, (Usman said) to (UFC president) Dana (White), 'I want to fight this guy in London,'" Abdelaziz said.
Abdelaziz noted the proposed bout could take place in early 2023, possibly in March.
Edwards is a Jamaican-born resident of London. Usman, born in Nigeria, is a longstanding United States resident.
"Rocky" shocked the MMA world by delivering a devastating head kick with less than a minute remaining in the UFC 278 main event to become the new welterweight champion. Prior to the kick, it appeared Usman was well on his way to retaining the belt.
Edwards (20-3, 1 NC) has won 11 consecutive fights since his loss to Usman in 2015.
Usman (20-2) was considered the UFC's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter before his 15-fight win streak - one off the promotion record - ended with Edwards' momentous knockout.
Abdelaziz is convinced his client's input into the fight's location should carry more weight than the current champ's. He also believes Usman has a strong following in London based on his African heritage.
"Kamaru is gonna smash this guy," Abdelaziz said. "He got a lucky kick once every 100 years."