Should The Former Welterweight Champion Hang Up The Gloves?
History was made with Islam Makhachev winning the Welterweight Championship at UFC 322, dominating the former champion Jack Della Maddalena. A wave of turnovers hit that division after the event, yet one result still lingers for fans. That result would be when Leon Edwards got knocked out cold by Carlos Prates. Marking his third straight loss, it raises the question of whether his heart is in it anymore. Let’s break down whether Leon Edwards should hang up the gloves or if there’s a matchup or two out there that he can still have excitement for.
Should Leon hang it up? In short, yes, he should consider calling it a career. It’s been a long time since the head kick heard around the world that dethroned the dominant champion Kamaru Usman. ‘Rocky’ has been sleepwalking through his recent matchups and hasn’t had the same energy and confidence he exuded when he was on his long 12-fight winning streak. He isn’t moving forward, and he doesn’t throw his hands like he used to. He was known for having crisp and precise striking with long combinations, and recently, he’s been one-shotting and backing out. The matchup against Prates was the first time in years he fought a pure striker, and he didn’t want any of it on the feet as he grappled the entire first round. That shows he doesn’t have confidence in his strike anymore, which is his calling card and made him a champion. He’s still 34 years old, so he should have a lot more fights in him, but I feel like he has one or two more realistically because there are very few fighters in the rankings he can compete with.
There is one fighter who, surprisingly, he hasn’t faced. A matchup against Gilbert Burns would be exciting as a matchup of two fighters who put on great performances but are clearly past their prime. Both fighters are on long losing streaks and are soon to call it a career. I think it gives one of them the chance to end this chapter of their life on a win. If Leon can keep this fight on the feet, he will pick Burns apart as his speed and power have declined significantly in recent years. If he wins a fight like this, it could give him some confidence, and he may get one more fight at a chance to reach the top again, but you never know.
Leon Edwards will always be a legend in the Welterweight Division, and that head kick will be immortalized in all our hearts forever. When you reach the top and stay there for so long, Father Time catches up to everyone. It seems like he is completely burnt out, and if he takes some time off and resets, we could see the real ‘Rocky’ return. If Leon Edwards does decide to hang it up, he will always be a champion you will always respect.
