MMA analyst Michael Bisping believes Leon Edwards needs to be perfect if he wants to defeat Kamaru Usman at UFC 278.

On August 20 in Salt Lake City, Leon Edwards will finally get his chance at glory as he prepares to lock horns with Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight championship. It’s a moment that has been a long time coming and while he may have lost to ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ back in 2015, both men are very different nowadays and have been through an awful lot in their respective careers.

Michael Bisping, who has been watching the progression of Edwards closely, thinks that ‘Rocky’ needs to be perfect in order to get past the champion.

“I mean, Usman is the pound-for-pound number one, but Leon Edwards is probably going to give him the toughest fight he’s had in a very long time.”

“Of couse, I am rooting for Leon as a fellow Brit, and I think he’s got a really, really good chance. It is not going to be easy.”

“Leon needs to be 100% focussed in his fight. Because one thing to be sure, if Kamaru Usman can catch Leon the way that Nate Diaz did, then, of course, he has the power to knock him out. He knocked out Masvidal, stopped Gilbert Burns, he has such a tremendous amount of power… So, Leon’s going to have to be perfect.”

Quotes via Sportskeeda

Usman’s biggest problem is going to be complacency given the fact that he’s already been at the top of the welterweight mountain for three years now. Alas, what Bisping says is true, with Edwards needing to impose himself from the word go – but not get too overly confident.

What do you think of Michael Bisping’s remarks? Can you picture a scenario in which Leon Edwards defeats Kamaru Usman at UFC 278?