![](https://i0.wp.com/static.independent.co.uk/2023/12/17/06/GettyImages-1861513964.jpg?ssl=1)
Leon Edwards was left emotional after his win over Colby Covington at UFC 296 as he mirrored upon the American’s pre-fight insults towards his late father.
Edwards cruised to a snug unanimous determination victory – 49-46 on all three scorecards – to retain his welterweight title on the T-Cellular Enviornment in Las Vegas.
The Jamaican-born Briton demonstrated his clear superiority within the placing exchanges all through the 5 rounds and even out-grappled the wrestling specialist Covington at factors throughout the combat.
The build-up to Saturday’s fundamental occasion had been heightened after the controversial American insulted Edwards’ late father, who was murdered when the welterweight champion was solely 13, at a pre-fight press convention.
Edwards used his post-fight speech to hit out at Covington’s feedback and stated his dad’s passing nonetheless impacts him to at the present time.
“This was an emotional combat for me,” the 32-year-old instructed Joe Rogan within the Octagon after his win. “This man used my dad’s dying as leisure, he used my dad’s homicide as leisure. It took quite a bit for me to relax, keep targeted and are available into this combat. I spoke to my coaches, spoke to my mum, and I form of simply shut it down.
“After the press convention, I went backstage, I used to be crying simply with the craze. You may’t use my dad’s dying as leisure, and that’s what he did. To at the present time, it nonetheless breaks my coronary heart that he was murdered. [Covington] stated [my dad] ought to burn in hell. He’s a terrific competitor, however he’s only a soiled human being.”
Edwards, identified for his managed and exact combating model, stated he needed to be calmed down by his coaches and mom within the aftermath of the feedback and located it tough at occasions to be restrained within the Octagon.
“It was arduous [to control myself]. Even on the weigh-ins I used to be fuming and shaking,” Edwards stated on the post-fight press convention.
(Getty Photos)
“I spoke to my mum and coaches and so they stated, ‘F*** this man; simply concentrate on your self – he needs you to come back on the market and combat emotionally and swing wildly.’
“Clearly what he stated was f***** up however I simply tried to modify it off and go on the market and do my job.”
Edwards has now defended the 170lbs belt on two events, with Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov two doubtless subsequent opponents.
Covington, in the meantime, has misplaced his final three title fights but remarkably claimed that he felt he had overwhelmed Edwards on the night time.
“I really feel nice, it was a simple combat. I barely have a scratch on me,” he stated, although he did acknowledge that his extra tentative efficiency might need been right down to “a protracted lay-off”.