Despite boxing being one of the most popular combat sports in England, there’s also MMA. Fans forget just how many martial arts, catch wrestling, and other top crops the Island Kingdom has produced. Leon Edwards has notched a clear spot at the top of that list. But the journey has never been easy for him. Leon Edwards’ father, especially his family, has been pivotal in thrusting him to where he is now.
With a deceptively rich history in MMA, England has seen many popular fighters and even champs rise to fame. The English-Morrocan Lee Murray, Catch wrestling helmsman Billy Robinson, Ross Pearson, Brad Pickett, and godfather of UK MMA Michael Bisping are only some such names. Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards’ family has helped him find his place on the list. Things. however, it could have been much different.
A native of Jamaica who grew up on the mean streets of Birmingham, Edwards’ rise to prominence has been both unexpected and awe-inspiring. His war cry of “Look at me now” puts into perspective where he has come from and where he’s going. Learn more about Edwards’ father and family, who have been catalysts for his MMA career.
Who is Leon Edwards’ father?
His father, Rufus, was shot dead in the ‘Spotlight’ nightclub in the Bristol City neighborhood of Croydon in 2004. On an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast (The JRE MMA Show #106) in 2021, southpaw ‘Rocky’ detailed deeds about his father.
Edwards, 32, told host Joe Rogan that as a kid, he always half expected him to meet a bad end. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Edwards lived in a one-room house with his parents and brother. Growing up, crime surrounded him, and his father was active in what he calls “questionable activities.”
Leon Edwards’ family has catapulted him to undeniable success (Source: X/express.co.uk)At nine years old, he moved to the Aston area of Birmingham, England, with his father. Rather than media coaching, the pain of his past has always poured out and inspired him from a real place. During The Guardian’s Exclusive Interview with Donald McRae for the UFC 296 media availability, he said he didn’t think of it much. Killing and a life of crime were common in Jamaica around them.
Though a gang leader, the Team Renegade MMA welterweight says his father did the best he could. He had the smarts to immigrate to Birmingham when he could. Leon Edwards still holds much sentiment about it all. When Colby Covington provoked a pre-bout row, defaming his father. he went scorched earth. Now that Edwards thinks past back, he doesn’t want his kids to tread the same lane. In more ways than one, the blight of his father’s murder inspired him to do better.
Leon Edwards’ Family
Leon Edwards’ father’s death might have propelled him later, but it’s all cred to his mother and family. So says the fighter himself; Edwards’s mother played a profound role in turning his life around altogether. When the welterweight came to Birmingham as a kid, the two biggest gangs were the Burger Boys and the Johnson Crew. The Englishman got into postal code turf wars, having been familiar with it all his life.
‘Rocky’ with his mother, nan, and siblings (Source: X/boxemag.com/pinterest.mx)Eventually, all the responsibility came on her to mold him, his sister, and his brother, Fabian Edwards, into what they are today. The single mom worked multiple jobs to support her three young children, mostly in the hospitality industry. Edwards says he joined up in MMA to make her proud, at her saying. Overcoming all odds stacked against him, Leon Edwards’ family helped him become the best version of himself. The “Pound-for-pound. Headshot. Dead” version!
Is Leon Edwards married?
Not a lot is up in public domains about Leon Edward’s personal life. He shields those involved from the spotlight, being a massive star in the UFC. It is unknown if he is (still) married and to whom, but Edwards cited his family as the main driving force behind his continued success in MMA.
Leon Edwards with his son (Source: instagram.net › @@leonedwardsmma/talksport.com)Edwards quietly and steadily climbed the UFC’s 170-pound ranks until wins over Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone, and Rafael dos Anjos. After his revenge against then-champion and former P4P king Kamaru Usman, he addressed the post-fight scrum that it’d be a story to tell. ‘Rocky’ said he wanted to make his son, Jayon ‘Rocky’ Edwards Jr. proud. Back in 2022, an IG snap (@leonedwardsmma) of him, ‘Rocky Jr’, and his UFC title wrapped around the waist went quite viral.
There isn’t any publicly available information about Edwards’ wife, but it’s granted he is a doting father.
