Former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards has had his return to action in the first quarter of next year confirmed.
Edwards hasn’t competed since losing his grip on the 170-pound crown at UFC 304 in Manchester this past July, where he was convincingly defeated by Belal Muhammad in their headline rematch.
“Rocky” has vowed to finish the new year with the gold back in his possession and announced that the path toward achieving that will start with a return in the main event of the UFC’s confirmed return to London on March 22.
A number of names floated around regarding an opponent, from the seemingly unretired Jorge Masvidal to top 10 contenders Ian Garry and Sean Brady. Ultimately, the assignment has fallen to Jack Della Maddalena.
During a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Australian insider Benny P first reported on Della Maddalena’s planned trip to London to share the cage with “Rocky.”
And Friday night, the promotion officially announced the bout, alongside the rest of the lineup for March 22.
Della Maddalena hasn’t made the walk since a victory over Gilbert Burns at UFC 299 this past March. The Australian put his name in Comeback of the Year discussion by avoiding certain defeat on the scorecards with a late knockout.
The Perth native has now won 17 straight fights since an 0-2 start to his professional career, a run that includes a perfect 7-0 UFC record. With that in mind, a triumph over a recent champ in Edwards would likely secure the #4-ranked contender a first title shot.
