Joe Rogan recalled the moment he stopped a fan from potentially getting a beating at the hands of UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
The UFC commentator was on his podcast, along with Ari Shaffir, Bert Kreischer and Tom Segura, when the latter explained why the 55-year-old had to step in. “Somebody is talking s*** to a UFC fighter that Joe is with. And then Joe is like, ‘Look, man. I know you’ve made a lot of mistakes in your life but you’re about to make a critical one,” Segura said. Rogan then added: “Let me just tell you who it is, it was Leon Edwards. Some guy was talking s*** to Leon Edwards and I said, ‘You are making a critical mistake.’
“Let me just step in right here, ‘First off, you’re out of line and you’re being a s***head to him for no f***ing reason. And you’re picking on the wrong dude, that is one of the best fighters on planet Earth.’”
READ MORE: UFC champ Leon Edwards insists ‘we’re not going to see a better Kamaru Usman’ in trilogy
Edwards etched his name in UFC immortality when he became just the second British UFC champion with his stunning knockout of P4P king Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 – and claimed he doesn’t see his opponent improving in any future rematch. The Jamaican-born Birmingham welterweight took home one of the most iconic belts in MMA with a left-side head kick that sent shockwaves through the UFC world as huge favourite Usman lost his crown after five title defences and 19 consecutive victories.
Speaking to Daily Star Sport on his return to the UK following a holiday abroad last month, Edwards said: “It was one of the worst performances of my career and that was the best Usman we’re going to get. “That’s what he does in fights, that’s the best we will see – and it was the worst of me. I think it will be a totally different fight – with the same result.”
Despite now being able to process his achievement after taking a break from the sport, Edwards still struggles to sum up the historic event, in which he joined Michael Bisping as a British UFC champion, having been overcome with emotion. He said: “Everyone keeps asking me to put it into words, how I felt at that moment, but it’s difficult.
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“Working for so long for something and going through ups and downs, everyone doubting you and being the first guy training out of the UK to do it.
“There’s a lot of pressure I put on myself. I said from the start I was going to be the world champion but the road to get there was so difficult. It was a rollercoaster of emotions. I’ve been on a break and I needed that. I’ve been here there and everywhere.”
Edwards has been in talks with UFC officials regarding plans for his title defence around next March, with London’s Wembley Stadium and Cardiff’s Principality Stadium eyed as potential venues.
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