Leon Edwards: UFC champion '100 per cent' deserves to win BBC SPOTY award (exclusive)

Leon Edwards, UFC champion – it doesn’t get much better than that.

The British MMA fighter, 31, claimed the welterweight title with a stunning victory over former titleholder Kamaru Usman in August.

Edwards’ 20-3 record in MMA includes ten straight wins under the UFC banner. He holds notable wins over Donald Cerrone, Nate Diaz and Rafael dos Anjos.

But he’s not just satisfied with having the belt wrapped around his waist.

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No British MMA fighter – not even the legendary Michael Bisping himself – has ever been nominated for the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

However, Edwards wants to be the first to break that curse, as he feels that he deserves to win it based on his recent success.

“Yeah, 100 per cent,” he exclusively told GiveMeSport.com. “Who else has done what I’ve done for the UK this year?

“It’s like a one-in-a-million chance for a guy like me from Birmingham to do it in one of the fastest growing sports in the world inspiring other generations like the youth in our gyms.

“So yeah I think 100 per cent I should win it or at least get nominated anyway [laughs].”

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It’s an exciting time for fans of the sport in his home country, with the likes of Arnold Allen, Darren Till and Tom Aspinall also currently ranked inside the top 15 in the featherweight, middleweight and heavyweight divisions respectively.

And Edwards has given his verdict on who will be the next one to follow in his footsteps.

“I’d probably say Tom, but he hurt his knee, right,” he added. “I think he’s good. He’s very good. He moves well, he’s a good striker, he’s a good