Fabian Edwards reflects on his decision win at Bellator 223: 'That's not me'
LONDON – Fabian Edwards is a fighter who loves to thrill the crowd with his performances, so he was a little disappointed when the fans at The SSE Arena started to boo towards the end of his Bellator 223 bout against Jonathan Bosuku on Saturday night.
Edwards (8-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) admitted the performance wasn’t one of his best and said he wasn’t quite his usual self when he stepped into the cage on fight night.
“I was a bit tired, man,” he told reporters backstage. “I won’t even lie, I was tired. I’d hurt my ankle. But it is what it is. I went out there, fought, got the win clean. I’m going home with a fat paycheck, so I don’t give a (expletive).”
Bosuku offered stubborn opposition, and presented Edwards with few openings during a very cagey three-round affair at Wembley. And while many had arrived at the arena hoping and expecting “The Assassin” to score another stoppage win, the Frenchman (7-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) proved a tough nut to crack.
“I didn’t underestimate him,” said Edwards. “I knew he was going to come out and give it his best. It’s his big opportunity, so he came out, I know he trained his (expletive) ass off, and he tried to get the victory, but he didn’t.”
Edwards was philosophical about the boos that started to ring around the arena, saying, “That’s not me. That’s the 18th fight of my career and I’ve never fought like that before. It is what it is. I’ve never been booed, I was like, ‘(Expletive) hell,’ you know what I mean? The crowd turns on you quick.
“Last month, I was taking someone’s chin off in Birmingham. This month, I played a smart game, I picked him apart, didn’t really get touched. (Expletive) it. It is what it is. People like me. People don’t like me. (Expletive) them.
“I look forward to continuing for my next fight and showing people what I’m really made of. If you’re a true fan and maybe (have been) watching me since I was an amateur, you know what I’m about.
“So that one performance … if you’re a guy that’s just jumped on board and are going, ‘Oh (expletive) hell.’ But (expletive) you, you know?”
And Edwards said that although he didn’t produce a spectacular finish on this occasion, he’s confident that his next highlight-reel moment is just around the corner.
“I believe I’m entertaining – one of the best in Bellator. I’ll stick to that,” he said. “That performance don’t really mean (expletive) to me. I’ll come back next time, I’ll smoke someone and everyone will be telling me how great I am again.”
For complete coverage of Bellator 223, visit the MMA Events section of the site.