Former UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards may have a home-field advantage when he makes his return to the cage later this year for another tough assignment.
UFC is reportedly in the process of making a clash between Edwards and fast-rising contender Jack Della Maddalena for March 22nd at The O2 Arena in London, England. News of the fight was first reported by BennyPMMA, and later also by Damon Martin of MMA Fighting.
The upcoming fight, if finalized, would be Edwards’ first appearance since dropping the welterweight title to Belal Muhammad in a five-round unanimous decision result last year.
The Birmingham-based fighter had a two-year run with the title before then, dethroning Kamaru Usman via an epic fifth-round head kick comeback knockout and defending the belt two more times before his UFC 304 loss.
Edwards, still ranked first in the division just below the champ, could begin a run toward a rematch against Muhammad with a win in two months.
Looking to bounce back from his first defeat since 2015, he’s expected to get one of the hardest matchups in the division, up-and-coming Australian fighter Della Maddalena.
Della Maddalena has shot up the welterweight rankings over the years due to his crisp, fight-ending kickboxing skills, earning him seven victories since entering the promotion in 2022.
The 28-year-old picked up his biggest win yet at UFC 299 last year, putting away former title challenger Gilbert Burns in the third round with strikes. He currently sits fourth in the standings, making him the second-highest-ranked fighter who has yet to receive a title opportunity.
The upcoming matchup is set to be “JDM’s” first main event UFC matchup and would easily make him one of the frontrunners for a future title shot if successful.
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