LEON EDWARDS has vowed to silence his critics and prove he’s still a force to be reckoned with in the UFC’s welterweight division in his do-or-die return to the Octagon.
The Brummie throws down with surging contender Carlos Prates early tomorrow morning on a stacked UFC 322 card at Madison Square Garden.
Edwards, 34, is on the brink of dropping out of the 170lbs title picture after back-to-back losses and has had his heart questioned by fans and fellow fighters.
But the former champion insists his doubters will change their tune when he does a demolition job on Brazilian bruiser Prates at ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’.
He said: “That’s just fickle, fickle fans for you. That’s all it is.
“I understand the game. The game is: What have you done for me lately?
“I understand the game. When I go out there Saturday night and I spark Prates, everyone will be like, ‘Oh my God.’
“‘He’s the best in the world, [give him a] title shot.’ Blah blah blah.’ That’s the game. It’s what it is.”
He added: “I’m excited, man. My energy is there and I’m just ready to go.
“I will show the world once again who I am, and it starts on Saturday night.”
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‘Rocky’ isn’t fazed by the career-high pressure he’s under, saying: “I’ve been here many times.
“So, there’s no pressure. My focus now is just on the performance.
“And going out there and performing to the best of my abilities, dominating, and I’ll go from there.
Prates, 32, goes into the MSG melee on the back of a viral first-round spinning-back elbow KO of Geoff Neal at UFC 319 in August.
But Edwards is adamant ‘The Nightmare’ isn’t on his level and plans to steal his thunder with a vintage display.
He said: “I’ll show him that there are levels to this game. He’s got great momentum coming off that win over Geoff.
“I feel like he’s got momentum around him.
“And my job is to go out there and take that momentum away and put it in my favour for me to get to that title shot.
“That’s my focus, taking that energy that he’s got around him and cracking on with my career.”
