UFC star Leon Edwards fires back at 'fickle' fans and outlines plan for redemption against Carlos Prates

Leon Edwards arrives at Madison Square Garden on Saturday with redemption on his mind and a point to prove to the world that seemed so quick to forget him. 

Following back-to-back defeats in the octagon, the British welterweight will step onto the canvas at MSG for a fight against rising contender Carlos Prates at UFC 322. 

For 'Rocky', Saturday night is both a redemption mission and a chance to re-announce the qualities that made him a UFC champion not so long ago. 

Ahead of fight night, Edwards spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail about his pivotal New York outing and revealed a renewed fire and focus in his training.

'I'm feeling good. I'm in good spirits,' Edwards said. 'I'm looking forward to going out there and reminding the world who I am. An iconic venue like MSG is the perfect opportunity, the perfect venue to do that.'

It's easy to forget how quickly fortunes swing in this sport. Just a few years ago, Edwards was the man of the moment after his stunning KO at UFC 278.

The British star shocked the world with a head-kick heard around it and, in the process, brought an end Kamaru Usman's dominance over the division. 

But MMA is a brutal leveller and after two defeats in a row, the spotlight has shifted. Now, Edwards finds himself dealing with an amnesia that only fight fans can produce.

'This game is fickle,' he said with a grin. 'It's always: 'What have you done for me lately?' You lose once or twice and people act like you're finished. Then you win and suddenly you're the best again.

'It's similar to [Alexander] Volkanovski. He was coming off one or two losses and then he ended up coming back and winning the belt and now he's the best again. That's just the game. I accept it for what it is'.

At 34, the Birmingham welterweight is clear-headed about his recent setbacks, which came after a decision loss to Belal Muhammad and a submission to Sean Brady. 

Some adjustments were needed, Edwards admitted, but dwelling on the defeats has never been part of his approach. 

'It is what it is,' he said. 'You can't dwell on defeats too much. Technically, you break things down with your coaches, but the result? You accept it and move on. 

'I'm in a good place now, good spirit and excited to go again and prove I'm the best in the world. I truly believe that.'

The competitive edge that took him to the top of the division is still there and, with some fans writing him off, Edwards feels determined to prove them wrong. 

'It definitely gives you that fire to go out there and shut the world up again,' he added. 'Fans will say what they want. That's part of the job.'

Edwards went on to break down how he envisions Saturday night going and spoke of a desire to showcase the full range of his game rather than a safety-first approach.

'It's going to be me mixing martial arts,' he said. 'I believe I'm the better striker and the better grappler. I'll put it all together and dominate the contest. 

'It'll be entertaining, but it's going to be me dominating from start to finish.'

Amid his formidable rise in recent months, Prates has been under his microscope within Edwards' camp. That includes the much-discussed fight with Ian Garry - a rival Edwards expects to cross paths with sooner rather than later. 

'I've watched all of Carlos' fights, not just the Garry one,' Edwards said. 'His shots, how he moves, what strikes he favours - I take advantage of everything I see.'

The stakes in the welterweight division only adds to the intrigue. With contenders lining up and results over the next few weeks likely to dictate the title picture, Edwards knows the value of a statement performance.

'There's a bit of a tournament feel right now,' he said. 'Whoever performs the best over the next few weeks, we'll see where things lie. A title shot next would be perfect. 

'If they want one more fight early next year, that's perfect too. My goal is to be world champion again by next summer.'

And doing it all at Madison Square Garden adds a special edge.

'It's one of those iconic places,' he said. 'When you're old and looking back at your career, you want to say you fought at MSG. Muhammad Ali fought there. It's sick. I'm excited.'

Talk has turned to next year's potential UFC card at the White House, but Edwards isn't fussed about whether his name is on it.

'It's more an American fighters thing,' he said. 'If they put me on, cool - but it wouldn't mean as much to me. For me it'd just be another fight.'

Leon Edwards takes on Carlos Prates on the undercard of UFC: 322 Della Maddalena vs Makhachev live on Saturday 15th November at Madison Square Garden, New York. The main card will be live on TNT Sport 1 from 3am GMT on Sunday 16th November. For more info, click here