Leon Edwards says he’ll show why he is a class above his Polish foe Pawel Pawlak when they meet at UFC Fight Night Glasgow on Saturday.
Edwards insists he has seen nothing from Pawlak that suggests he will be in any semblance of danger come fight night.
“I don’t care what he’s coming to do,” said the Birmingham welterweight. “All I plan on doing is putting him away. He’s alright, but to me he’s a normal fighter and a bit scrappy.
“I think he lost his last bout against Sheldon Westcott (a decision at UFC Fight Night Krakow in April) and if it was any other country, Westcott would have won it.”
While Edwards insisted nobody’s place in the UFC is secure, he enters Scotland full of confidence after his left hand smashed through Seth Baczynski in just eight seconds in April.
That salvo earned “Rocky” a £50,000 bonus. “I knew Seth starts by pawing with his jab so I knew if I stepped outside his feet I could land that punch. I studied a lot of video before so the cash was worth it.
“I haven’t had a chance to spend my bonus yet because I’ve gone straight to another fight camp. But it’s a nice feeling to just have it there waiting for me in the bank!”
Indeed, the flamboyant striker, a former BAMMA British Lonsdale champion, paved a long road into the sport before breaking out in 2014 with a rear-naked choke over Wayne Murrie.
“My mum first took me to Ultimate Training Centre in Birmingham just to keep me out of trouble. I was only about 16, always up to no good and had nothing else to do. I loved the sport from day one and seven years later, I’m still there and I haven’t looked back since.
“I love training there. They’ve got good training partners over there, good coaches, so it’s been incredible.
By Ally Hendrie
