'I'm the better fighter': Britain's Edwards ready for Usman title rematch
The Birmingham-based fighter defeated challenger Kamaru Usman for the strap with a sensational final-round head-kick knockout at UFC 278 last year.
It was the second meeting between the fighters, seven years after Edwards - just the second British champion in UFC history - was defeated on points by a fast-rising Usman.
The result was seen as something of an upset, with many at the time believing Nigerian-American Usman to be the pound-for-pound best in the world.
Ahead of UFC 286 at London's O2 Arena on Saturday night, the pair faced off and traded barbs during a live press conference in front of a frenzied crowd of home supporters, serenading their countryman with renditions of the Rocky chant and Three Lions' "it's coming home" throughout, the latter triggering a buoyant and confident Edwards to even briefly join in.
The fans also tormented Usman with repeated chants of "headshot, dead", a reference to something Edwards said in the immediate aftermath of his stunning victory at UFC 278. Usman could barely get his answers aired at times, drowned out by the deafening and unrelenting taunts, eventually laughing and acknowledging the crowd's mind games.
"I'm going out there to show off," Edwards said of the highly anticipated bout.
"I know he's improved, I'm not deluded, but I truly believe I'm the better fighter.
"It means the world to me, the road I had to travel to get here was hard. Everybody wrote me off and nobody gave me a chance, it was tough, but that built my character.
"I've worked so hard to get here and on Saturday night I'm going to make all the fans proud for sure."
Usman - dominant in both fights despite the shocking nature of his defeat in August - gave the Jamaican-born British brawler credit for his victory in the pair's last outing.
"There's no such thing as a mistake, it was a learning experience and oversight by myself.
"We correct that and get back on the horse to do what greatness requires."
At one point, Edwards was asked about the altitude affecting him in the fight last August. Usman quickly chimed in, asking Edwards "what his excuse was for the first fight (that Edwards lost)," to which Edwards responded: "What was the excuse for the f***ing head kick you got?"
Towards the end of the press conference, one journalist mentioned that Conor McGregor will be in London this weekend - likely at the UFC 286 event itself - and that the Irishman has spoken of expecting a welterweight title shot after fighting Michael Chandler later this year.
Edwards responded: "As the king, I welcome all challengers," with Usman also saying he'd be interested in battling the Dubliner.
The pair then finally faced off ahead of tomorrow's weigh-ins, neither man wavering in their cold-as-ice stares.
Edwards defends his welterweight belt for the first time against Usman in UFC 286's main event. Elsewhere on the card, heavy-hitter Justin Gaethje faces Rafael Fiziev and Gunnar Nelson takes on Bryan "Bam Bam" Barberena.
