“Wake Me Up in a Jamaican Way”: Leon Edwards Recalls His ‘Father Figure’ Coach’s Speech Before the Fifth Round That Changed His Life

 Leon Edwards become the UFC welterweight champion after knocking out Kamaru Usman with a sensational head kick at UFC 278. It was considered one of the best KOs of 2022. Edwards recently made an appearance on Michael Bisping’s ‘Believe You Me’ podcast and spoke about what transpired at the end of the 5th round with his coach in the corner. Leon Edwards went into UFC 278 with the hopes of snatching the belt. He found himself in a difficult situation during the 5th round of his fight against the then-champion, Usman. ‘Rocky’ had already lost three rounds before he eventually handed ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ his first loss in the UFC.

Edwards’ coach knew he had lost the majority of rounds to Usman, and asked ‘Rocky’ to make some necessary adjustments in the final round. The Nigerian fighter didn’t anticipate the kick and was knocked out cold after the kick landed on the right side of his head. Subsequently, Leon Edwards was successful in becoming the undisputed welterweight champion.

Leon Edwards reflects on his coach’s words at UFC 278

Michael Bisping asked Leon Edwards if he remembered the exact words his coach told him during the last round of his championship fight. The Birmingham native stated his coach was aware that something was wrong with him during the fight. Edwards said, “Dave [his coach] is like a father figure to me. He knows what I’m like, he sees me in the gym, he knows how good I am. He knew that something wasn’t right with me.” 

Edwards joked about the fact that his coach used the “Jamaican way” to wake him up and asked him to get his head in the game. He said, “He was like ‘mate, what are you doing? Fix up. You’ve come this far from all the way. So that’s his way to wake me up in a Jamaican way.” Leon Edwards successfully lived up to his nickname in this bout.

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UFC has confirmed that Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards trilogy will take place in UFC 286 in London, United Kingdom. It will be enemy territory for the Nigerian fighter as Edwards will have the backup of thousands of British fans on March 18. What are your thoughts on the Usman vs Edwards trilogy? Drop your comments below.

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