More than ever, the UFC’s divisional structure seems to have become a series of holding patterns. Fighters battle their way up the long and treacherous path into the elite of their weight class, and then hunker down and wait until just the right opportunity arises. For Leon Edwards that’s put more than a year between him and his last trip to the Octagon.
‘Rocky’ is currently sitting on an eight fight win streak, with victories over the likes of Vicente Luque, Donald Cerrone, and former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Originally scheduled for a bout with Tyron Woodley back in March – right as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of several UFC cards – Edwards hasn’t made the walk to the cage since beating RDA last July at UFC on ESPN 4.