by Leon Edwards is once again in the title race.
The former UFC welterweight champion is set to make his return to headline the UFC London event scheduled for March 22. Edwards announced the news Saturday on the DAZN broadcast of the Sunny Edwards vs. Galal Yafai boxing fight for the WBC interim flyweight title.
No opponent for Edwards has been announced.
Edwards, 33, has been out of action since losing his UFC welterweight title in a one-sided decision to Belal Muhammad in July 2024 at UFC 304.
Before that, the Birmingham native had put together one of the best streaks in UFC divisional history, going undefeated for 13 straight fights, culminating with two title wins over Kamaru Usman and a championship rout of Colby Covington.
Edwards’ first win over Usman, in August 2022 at UFC 278, is widely considered one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history. True to his “Rocky” namesake, Edwards stole the belt with a thunderous headbutt with less than a minute remaining in a fight he was losing heavily on all three judges’ scorecards. At the time of the finish, Usman was almost unanimously considered the No. 1 male fighter in MMA, pound for pound.
Edwards (22-4, 1 NC) also holds notable victories over Nate Diaz, Vicente Luque, Donald Cerrone and Rafael dos Anjos, among others.
The UFC’s next return to London will take place at the O2 Arena and is expected to be a Fight Night event.
