Kamaru Usman believe he has a bigger fan base than Leon Edwards in the UK

By Harry Kettle - September 20, 2022

Kamaru Usman has stated that he believes he has more fans in the United Kingdom than his rival Leon Edwards does.

Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards

Last month at UFC 278, Leon Edwards shocked the world by knocking Kamaru Usman out to become the new UFC welterweight champion. It came following a gruelling five-round bout that, in the eyes of many, Kamaru Usman was winning.

Alas, it isn’t over until it’s over and Edwards proved that by putting Usman to sleep with a nasty head kick that left him sitting on top of the mountain for the first time.

The immediate reaction from many was that we needed to see a trilogy fight between the two and as per UFC president Dana White, that’s exactly what we’re going to see at some point next year.

It feels inevitable that the contest will go down in the UK given Edwards’ new status as the champ, but as noted by Usman during a recent interview with Joe Rogan, he believes he will be the one with the advantage in terms of fan support.

“Now you’re in their country, which honestly, I think imma have more fans in his country than he will,” Usman said. “That’s no knock on Leon. I like Leon; I really do. Half of England is Africa. There’s a lot of Nigerians in England, a lot of Nigerians. He knows there’s a lot of Nigerians and Jamaicans. But I think I will be well represented in England.”

Quotes via MMA News

Regardless of whether or not Usman is joking or not, one thing that holds true is just how big this fight is going to be when it finally gets booked.

Who do you think should be the favourite heading into a third meeting between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards? Let us know down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!