Leon Edwards
Leon Edwards, born August 25, 1991, in Kingston, Jamaica, is an English mixed martial artist who fights in the UFC’s welterweight division. Nicknamed “Rocky,” he is 6 ft 2 in tall, about 170 lb, with a 74-inch reach and fights southpaw. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu and fights out of Erdington, Birmingham, England. Edwards began competing professionally in 2011 and has a record of 29 wins, 6 losses, and 1 no contest, with wins by knockout, submission, and decision.
He grew up in Aston, Birmingham after moving from Jamaica at age 9. His father, Rufus Edwards, was killed in 2004. He started MMA at 17, and his brother Fabian is also a fighter. His nickname Rocky came from friends in school.
Edwards rose through BAMMA, becoming the welterweight champion there, before joining the UFC in 2014. He earned a Performance of the Night KO in 2015 and built a strong UFC résumé, including a win over Rafael dos Anjos in 2019. He fought Kamaru Usman three times, finally defeating Usman to win the UFC Welterweight Championship in August 2022 with a fifth‑round knockout. He defended the title in 2023 against Usman and again against Colby Covington in December 2023. In 2024 he lost the title to Belal Muhammad.
In 2025 he fought Sean Brady after changes to the card, losing by guillotine submission in the fourth round. He later faced Carlos Prates at UFC 322 and was knocked out in the second round, the first time Edwards has been finished by knockout. As of November 18, 2025, he is ranked No. 9 in the UFC welterweight rankings.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:46 (CET).