What Happened to Leon Edwards’ Dad? Colby Covington’s Controversial Comments at UFC 296 Press Conference Explained

Chael Sonnen had predicted the UFC 296 pre-fight press conference to be a ‘sh*t show’ featuring Colby Covington and the other fighters on the card. The UFC vet’s prediction did come true, but no one could have expected Covington to go so low as to take a dig at Leon Edwards‘ deceased father. Things almost got out of hand with Edwards instantaneously going for Covington on stage. A timely security intervention prevented matters from escalating but Edwards’ reaction clearly showed Covington had crossed a line.

The UFC welterweight champion lost his father when he was just 13 years old. This tragedy struck the Edwards household four years after they had left Jamaica to make a life in Birmingham. The champion once explained how his father was shot dead in a nightclub over “something to do with money.” A phone call at around 2 am in October 2004, and his mom crying soon afterward, Edwards remembers that fateful night vividly. So when Covington brought up his late father in his trash-talk, ‘Rocky’ did not think twice before going at his opponent on the spot.

Who was Leon Edwards’ father? What happened to him?

Leon Edwards’ father, to put it mildly, ran with the wrong crowd. Upon moving to Birmingham, England from their native Jamaican capital of Kingston, Leon’s father, Rufus got involved with gang activity and organized crime to make ends meet and take care of his family.

In 2004, when Leon was just twelve, his father was shot at point-blank range and killed in the Spotlight nightclub in West Croydon. Also killed was the head doorman of the club, Mark Warmington, who witnesses testified tried to stop the shooters. According to ‘The Guardian’, Rufus and the mastermind of the shooting were involved in a financial dispute, which eventually led to the Jamaica native’s murder.

According to reports, the shooting was carried out by a group of men, and nine men were charged with the murder of Rufus, and another nightclub shooting the same night. However, all nine men were cleared of all charges after a jury at a Bristol Crown Court found all the defendants not guilty. This is why Colby Covington’s comments about Leon’s fathers saw the usually laidback ‘Rocky’ try and assault ‘Chaos’ on stage.

 What happened between Colby Covington and Leon Edwards? What did ‘Chaos’ say about Edwards’ dad?

If trash-talking was a sport, Colby Covington would certainly compete for the highest accolades. True to form, on Thursday, Covington was doing his best to get under the skin of his opponent in a verbal exchange with Edwards when he suddenly blurted out the lines, “On Saturday night, I’m going to bring you to a place you never want to be,” Covington shouted, “I’m going to bring you to the seventh level of hell. We’ll say ‘what’s up’ to your dad while we’re there.”

On hearing Covington’s incendiary comment, Edwards couldn’t control himself and launched a water bottle instantly at ‘Chaos’ and jumped out of his seat to confront him. But before the duo came to blows,  thankfully, security stepped in to separate the two fighters. Covington had clearly struck a nerve, and Edwards’ reaction of rage was only reasonable. He was brought up by a single mother whom he holds dear.

In an interview with Joe Rogan, ‘Rocky opened up about the circumstances leading up to his father’s death and how he was compelled to run in the wrong circles to make ends meet. Edwards claimed that even at a young age, he understood what could have happened to his father as a result of him being involved in organized crime.

“My dad was a gang leader in my area and so I was one of the few kids who had a bicycle and a skateboard. If you consider the cards he was dealt, my dad did the best he could. I know he did wrong, getting involved in crime, and it led to his demise. But he had the smarts to immigrate to the UK and he soon brought his wife and kids to join him for a better life,” he said.

“He didn’t just leave us so he was a good man but, in bad circumstances, he made the wrong choices. But you got to remember that, in Jamaica, killing seemed normal. We were used to gunshots and death all around us,” Edwards once said in a Guardian interview. He even spoke profoundly about his mother, as well as understanding the consequences of his late father’s absence. Here’s what the champ had to say.

Leon Edwards talks about the night his father died

Edwards recounted in excruciating detail and the hint of a tear in his eye, the moment his inconsolable mother told him that his father had died.

“My mum, she’s a tough lady, you know, being a single mum,” ‘Rocky’ told Rogan. “It was probably like 2 in the morning. I was in my room. She was in her room. We hear the phone ringing. I heard her crying, and I knew from then something bad, you know.”

The young man in Edwards found it best not to rush into his mother’s room and start asking questions. It was a tough time for his entire family as a whole. ‘Rocky’ said that he knew what kind of life his father lived, and the incident only pushed him further into taking that road himself.

Fortunately, his mother made him take up MMA to keep him away from a life of crime. Years later, she is the mother of the UFC’s welterweight champion who is preparing to make his second title defense this weekend at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Will he succeed? Will he make Covington pay for that low blow during the press conference? We’ll find out in a matter of hours.