The UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards is nicknamed ‘Rocky’, in an homage to the popular boxing film franchise. The character was partially based on boxing legend ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier. The film is about an unknown boxer, played by Sylvester Stallone, getting an unexpected shot at the heavyweight title. Unlike most films, Rocky doesn’t win in the end. He gives the champion, Apollo Creed, a good fight but loses on the scorecard. But he is happy with having taken the champion all the way and having given it his all, even if he lost in the end.

And Edwards’ victory over the then welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 in their second and third encounters was reminiscent of the fictional underdog’s tale. Edwards got the nickname in his childhood due to his propensity to fight. But his journey to becoming the champion is as moving a story of the underdog prevailing as Rocky’s.

Leon Edwards incredible victory over Kamaru Usman

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ looked unbeatable and Edwards’ victory was as unexpected as Stallone’s Rocky. Not to mention how he won. Usman had the upper hand for most of the fight leading up to the infamous head-kick knockout of Usman in the fifth round of their second fight. In the third fight, Edwards outclassed Usman for a unanimous decision victory, proving his first victory was not just a lucky stroke.

This has impressed noted MMA coach Javier Mendez, who thinks Usman may be the best UFC welterweight ever. “Leon is becoming a great uh Champion, you know… Kamaru I think is one of the greatest of all time in the welterweight division right there with GSP if not better,” he said.

The coach also talked about the time Leon Edwards sparred with his student, UFC featherweight champion Islam Makhachev, and how that motivated him to want to fight Edwards.

Javier Mendez talks about the time Leon Edwards sparred with Islam Makhachev

Talking to ‘Submission Radio’, Mendez described having an unknown Leon Edwards in his gym sparring with Islam Makhachev in 2015. “Islam’s first sparring uh with Leon, when Leon came to us back in uh that was the very first person uh Islam got to spar... And they went at it fairly good and that’s kind of where, you know, they could fight with each other because they’ve sparred one time... They know that the power’s there for both sides,” he told the hosts.

He also revealed Makhachev’s callout of Edwards for the welterweight title was motivated by his sparring session with Edwards 8 years ago. “He knows what he’s talking about when he wanted to fight at that division because he tested himself with bigger guys. So Islam knows that’s just a good match for him,” he said.

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Rocky teaches the audience a lesson about trying your absolute best and pushing yourself further in the face of almost certain defeat and that is exactly what Leon Edwards’ story teaches us, too. It would be very interesting to see ‘Rocky’ go against the juggernaut that is Makhachev. Who do you think wins in a fight between Edwards and Makhachev? Let us know in the comments section below.

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