- Leon Edwards has spoken for the first time since his UFC welterweight defeat
- The 32-year-old wants a rematch after losing his title against Belal Muhammad
- Edwards suffered his first loss in over a decade against UFC 304 in Manchester
Leon Edwards has apologised to fans as he broke silence in the wake of his UFC welterweight world title defeat against Belal Muhammad.
The Birmingham-associated mixed martial arts star was the co-main event in Manchester at UFC 304 over the weekend where he was finally beaten in his third title defence.
‘Rocky’ was outclassed by Muhammad as the American dominated inside the octagon with repetitive takedowns hurting Edwards and stopping him from exerting control on proceedings.
Talks are now ongoing to reach a rematch between the two stars and Edwards has now offered his verdict, stressing that he will reclaim his former title in the future.
Posting on Instagram to his 1.5m followers, Edwards stated: ‘To my fans I’m sorry I couldn’t get the job done this time.
Leon Edwards has apologised to fans as he broke silence in the wake of his UFC welterweight world title defeat
Edwards was dominated in his title bout against Belal Muhammad (right) in Manchester
‘I have been through harder times than this in life and I will rise again. Thanks for all the love and support I will get this back in blood.’
The 32-year-old accompanied his caption with a post of an iconic speech from former United States president Theodore Roosevelt titled ‘the man in the arena’.
Defeat in Manchester was Edwards’ first in over a decade as the welterweight title swapped hands following a technical fight that failed to excite UFC president Dana White.
A rematch is now expected but won’t be immediate after White bluntly described the five-round battle in the octagon as ‘not a barnstormer’ afterwards.
Muhammad was overcome with emotions as he was crowned the new UFC welterweight champion
Edwards started brightly in round one as he sought to showcase his iconic kicking ability but was quickly reigned in as Muhammad began to take control of proceedings.
The new champion then took control of the remainder of the fight, frustrating Edwards with takedowns and only looking in any type of serious danger during the final exchanges of the fight when a flurry of elbows opened a cut on his head.
Muhammad – who is the child of Palestinian parents – celebrated his title victory around Manchester as hundreds of fans gathered in the streets waving Palestine flags.
However, celebrations were only short-lived as the champion quickly returned to training while awaiting the news of who his first title defence will come against.
