Ian’s Fab new role
Rocky calls his shot for November clash
LEON EDWARDS insists he deserves the next crack at the welterweight title.
The 170lb division is in turmoil following the cancellation of Kamaru Usman’s title defence against Colby Covington, which was due to headline UFC 244 in New York on November 2.
Birmingham brawler Edwards is in contention to face ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ after racking up eight wins in a row and firmly believes he’s the undisputed No.1 contender.
“It’s very frustrating to be on an eight-fight win streak in one of the hardest divisions in the sport,” said Edwards.
“I feel I deserve a title shot over everyone because I’m the one out here doing all the work. I feel like I deserve the next title shot. But everyone else is matched up or making excuses why they don’t want to fight.
“I’m just waiting to see what’s next for me.” Although his sights are firmly set on a rematch with Usman, ‘Rocky’ is willing to face one of the other top contenders in the division.
He said: “Everyone is making excuses for why they don’t want to fight and picking who they want to fight. I want to stay active.
“I’m 28 years old, I’m heading into my prime, so I want to stay active. I don’t want to wait until next year to fight again. So I’m (below) willing to step up and fight anyone in the top three.”
Despite the uncertainty over his immediate future, No.4ranked Edwards is still preparing to fight later this year.
He added: “The UFC phoned my management team and asked, ‘How’s Leon? What’s he doing? Could he be ready for November 2?’ The day before the Jorge Masvidal fight with Nate Diaz got made.
“I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll be ready for whoever.’ I haven’t heard back from them since, though, so I don’t know what’s going on with that.
“But I’m just training towards November or December and hopefully I get a good match-up.” IAN MACLEOD’S Newcastle career started with him earning £2 for a one-hour kids coaching session 18 years ago.
This Friday, the 36-year-old will step into the shoes of departed boss Fab Flournoy, who was rewarded for his 18 trophy-filled years at the helm of the Eagles with a summer move to NBA champions the Toronto Raptors.
And that has paved the way for Macleod, who starts his stint in charge with a home clash against Cheshire Phoenix in the BBL Cup.
He said: “My first-ever job was doing an afterschool session. I got paid £7.50 and it cost me £5.50 to get there!
“It’s nice to have that work rewarded. We’re just looking forward to building something special.”