Leon Edwards: 2023’s UK MMA Male Fighter Of The Year

We’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times and we will never get bored of saying how 2023 was a huge year for UK MMA. That being said, UK male fighter of the year could’ve spotlighted so many athletes that put together great runs in the past 12 months but ultimately, we enter into 2024 with two UFC champions from these shores. Every movement needs its leaders and flag bearers and one stood out amongst the rest. It fills us with great pride to be able to say that Birmingham’s Leon Edwards isn’t just VMTV’s UK male fighter of the year, he’s one of the best fighters in the world period. 

“Rocky” wasn’t without some incredibly deserving competitors for this award. Muhammad Mokaev cracked the flyweight top ten with two impressive wins this year. Phil De Fries maintained his status as one of the most dominant champions in the world after his fans showed out last year to make him the winner. Last but not least, De Fries’ teammate became the “interim” UFC heavyweight champion on two weeks notice as the Tom Aspinall era truly kicked off. That’s not to mention all the names that didn’t make it into our top four showdown.

Nonetheless, the welterweight champion was always going to be the consensus favourite from the moment that he successfully defended the title in London. Bringing the 170-pound strap back to the UK at UFC 286 was a huge moment all by itself. Topping that was Edwards’ performance against the former champion Kamaru Usman. Proving once and for all that “headshot dead” wasn’t a fluke, he beat “The Nigerian Nightmare” for a second time with no last minute dramatics necessary. “Rocky” was here to stay and that night in Salt Lake City was just the beginning. 

Defending the title on home soil and beating the former pound-for-pound king is hard to top and yet, one moment in Edwards’ year may end up being the lasting memory. As long time fans who have watched him climb the ranks, a lot of his UK supporters knew the kind of champion they were going to get when he reached the top of the mountain. The cloth that he is cut from. But even then, what he did at UFC 296 should inspire people from all walks of life. 

When Colby Covington used the passing of Edwards’ father to try and sell some extra PPVs, he made the fight about Leon vs himself. Emotional and unsettled, questions around the composure of the champion on fight night were set to be a huge talking point. After rallying with his loved ones, “Rocky” went out there with a point to prove to no one but himself. A point that he is the best welterweight on the planet and that no amount of “selling the fight” can cloud that. 

You judge the legacy of a champion on what they do when they face adversity. Bend? Break? How about outwrestle one of the best grapplers in the history of the division with skills that were crafted on the mats in the West Midlands of England just to prove a point. There were questions about Covington’s performance but if there was one thing everyone could agree on, it’s that Leon Edwards is deserving of his crown. A crown that was forged in the trenches. A crown that was never taken for granted or delivered at his doorstep. A crown that shone brightest in 2023 and long may it continue.