Fabian Edwards
Born (1993-03-24) 24 March 1993
Kingston, Jamaica
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
DivisionMiddleweight
Reach79+1⁄2 in (202 cm)
Fighting out ofErdington, Birmingham, England
TeamTeam Renegade BJJ & MMA (2015–present)
Ultimate Training Centre (2010–2015)
RankBlack belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1]
Years active2017–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total15
Wins12
By knockout4
By submission3
By decision5
Losses3
By knockout1
By decision2
Notable relativesLeon Edwards (brother)
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Fabian Edwards (born 24 March 1993) is a English professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division of Bellator MMA. As of 16 May, 2023, he is #1 in the Bellator Middleweight Rankings.[2] He is the younger brother of Leon Edwards, the current UFC Welterweight champion.

Background

Edwards was born in Kingston, Jamaica, where he and his family shared a single bed, one room, and a wooden house. They were living in squalor without realising it. Edwards' father was the boss of a neighbourhood gang, going by the name "The General." Edwards became desensitised to gun violence since it occurred so frequently in his neighbourhood where gang and criminal activity were rife.[3] Gunshots were commonplace. When Edwards was seven years old, his parents divorced, and his father was already residing in London while continuing to provide for the family financially from afar. They relocated to England to be closer to him, first to London and then to Aston, Birmingham. There were gangs there as well, and until they discovered MMA and formed Team Renegade, they spent their time blending in.[4][5] Fabian started MMA five to six years after his brother did so at the age of 16 due to the insistence of his brother.[6][7]

When Edwards was eleven, his father was shot dead in a London nightclub.[8]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Prior to going pro, he had a 9–0 record as an amateur. He rose up the ranks by working as a janitor and a carpenter. He didn't leave his janitorial position until after signing his first deal with Bellator, at which point he believed his MMA career was already well started. The younger Edwards alternated between a day job and a fighting career for many years, working both jobs to exhaustion. But someday, he assured them, "I'd be making enough money not to do that. I simply persisted, and it sort of paid off.[9][10]

Before joining the British organisation BAMMA, he made his professional MMA debut with Bellator on 19 May 2017 against Rafał Cejrowski, scoring a brutal flying knee knockout in the first round.[11] He reeled off five straight stoppages under the BAMMA promotion to start off his career in style.[6] Starting with Aaron Kennedy via rear-naked choke at BAMMA 30,[12] Louis King via rear-naked choke at BAMMA 33,[13] Kent Kauppinen via armbar at BAMMA 34,[14] and finally Claudio Conti via body kick TKO at BAMMA 35.[15]

Bellator MMA

After his highlight flying knee knockout, Edwards signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator.[16]

Edwards faced Lee Chadwick on 9 February 2019 at Bellator Newcastle, defeating the experienced veteran via unanimous decision.[17]

Debuting in his hometown for the first time, Edwards faced Falco Neto on 4 May 2019 at Bellator Birmingham, defeating Neto in highlight fashion, landing multiple upkicks on Neto that knocked him down, afterwards being finished by Edwards on the ground.[18] Neto later tested positive for metabolites of methyltestosterone and nandrolone and was handed down a six-month suspension.[19]

After the win, Edwards signed a new deal with Bellator and in his first bout of the deal faced Jonathan Bosuku on 22 June 2019 at Bellator 223.[20] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[21]

Edwards faced Mike Shipman on 23 November 2019 at Bellator London 2, defeating him in a close bout via split decision.[22]

After initially being booked against Costello Van Steenis for 16 May 2020 at Bellator London 3,[23] the event was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic.[24] The bout was rebooked for 26 September 2020 at Bellator Milan 2, where Fabian lost his first bout in his career via split decision.[25]

Edwards faced Austin Vanderford on 21 May 2021 at Bellator 259, losing the bout via unanimous decision.[26]

Edwards, as a replacement for Norbert Novenyi, was scheuled to face Charlie Ward at Bellator 270 on 5 November 2021.[27] Ward had to pull out however due to a ruptured bicep and was replaced by promotional newcomer Robert Fonseca.[28] Fonseca couldn't get paperwork sorted in time and the bout was scratched, with no replacement sought.[29]

Edwards was scheduled to face Marian Dimitrov at Bellator 275 on 25 February 2022. However, the bout was scrapped a week before for unknown reason.[30] Edwards was rebooked against Lyoto Machida at Bellator London.[31]

Edwards faced former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida on 13 May 2022 at Bellator 281.[31] He won the fight via knockout in the first round, catching Machida with an elbow after breaking from a clinch.[32]

Edwards faced Charlie Ward on 29 October 2022 at Bellator 287.[33] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[34]

Edwards faced Gegard Mousasi in a Bellator Middleweight title eliminator fight on 12 May 2023, at Bellator 296.[35] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[36][37]

Edwards faced Johnny Eblen for the Bellator Middleweight Championship on September 23, 2023 at Bellator 299.[38] He lost the fight via knockout in the third round.[39]

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
15 matches 12 wins 3 losses
By knockout 4 1
By submission 3 0
By decision 5 2
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 12–3 Johnny Eblen KO (punches) Bellator 299 23 September 2023 3 0:21 Dublin, Ireland For the Bellator Middleweight World Championship.
Win 12–2 Gegard Mousasi Decision (unanimous) Bellator 296 12 May 2023 5 5:00 Paris, France Bellator Middleweight title eliminator.
Win 11–2 Charlie Ward Decision (unanimous) Bellator 287 29 October 2022 3 5:00 Milan, Italy
Win 10–2 Lyoto Machida KO (elbow and punches) Bellator 281 13 May 2022 1 3:18 London, England
Loss 9–2 Austin Vanderford Decision (unanimous) Bellator 259 21 May 2021 3 5:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Loss 9–1 Costello van Steenis Decision (split) Bellator Milan 2 26 September 2020 3 5:00 Milan, Italy
Win 9–0 Mike Shipman Decision (split) Bellator London 2 23 November 2019 3 5:00 London, England
Win 8–0 Jonathan Bosuku Decision (unanimous) Bellator 223 22 June 2019 3 5:00 London, England
Win 7–0 Falco Neto TKO (upkicks and punches) Bellator Birmingham 4 May 2019 1 3:51 Birmingham, England
Win 6–0 Lee Chadwick Decision (unanimous) Bellator Newcastle 9 February 2019 3 5:00 Newcastle, England
Win 5–0 Claudio Conti TKO (body kick) BAMMA 35 12 May 2018 1 1:00 Dublin, Ireland
Win 4–0 Kent Kauppinen Submission (armbar) BAMMA 34 18 March 2018 1 4:52 London, England
Win 3–0 Louis King Submission (rear-naked choke) BAMMA 33 15 December 2017 1 1:15 Newcastle, England
Win 2–0 Aaron Kennedy Submission (rear-naked choke) BAMMA 30 7 July 2017 2 0:44 Dublin, Ireland
Win 1–0 Rafał Cejrowski KO (flying knee) Bellator 179 19 May 2017 1 3:44 London, England Middleweight debut.

[40]

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CtM74J-N73J/
  2. ↑ "Bellator Rankings". www.bellator.com. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
  3. ↑ "His father's murder pushed him into gang crime - UFC was the escape". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  4. ↑ Davies, Gareth A. (2020-09-25). "Bellator Milan: Fabian Edwards reflects on rise from poverty in Kingston Jamaica to life-changing cage fights". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  5. ↑ "Edwards brothers, Leon and Fabian, are the most exciting siblings in MMA Diaz bros". talkSPORT. 2021-03-13. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  6. 1 2 "Bellator's Fabian Edwards on chasing gold alongside UFC brother Leon: 'It's so special'". MMA Junkie. 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  7. ↑ Shinbt, Jagroop (2018-03-07). "Rocky and the Assassin, the Birmingham brothers looking to dominate MMA". BBC Three. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  8. ↑ "Leon Edwards: MMA saved me from being 'dead, in prison or dead broke'". ESPN.com. 2019-07-17. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  9. ↑ Carroll, Peter (2019-02-12). "'The come up is hard': Fabian Edwards recalls working as a janitor before Bellator signing". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  10. ↑ Marrocco, Steven (2022-10-28). "Fabian Edwards 'probably' will fight out Bellator contract, vows to join brother Leon with title". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  11. ↑ "Video: Fabian Edwards scores brutal flying knee KO at Bellator 179". MMA Fighting. 2017-05-19. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  12. ↑ "BAMMA 30 Results: Philpott vs. Walsh Ends in No-Contest Due to Illegal Kick". Combat Press. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  13. ↑ Carroll, Peter (2017-12-15). "BAMMA 33 results: Ryan Scope claims lightweight title, Aaron Chalmers calls out Baby Slice". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  14. ↑ Carroll, Peter (2018-03-09). "BAMMA 34 results: Terry Brazier dethrones Alex Lohore, Rhys McKee claims lightweight title". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  15. ↑ Carroll, Peter (2018-05-12). "BAMMA 35 results: Ion Pascu, Kiefer Crosbie and Fabian Edwards score big wins in Dublin". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  16. ↑ Edwards, Jim (2018-10-14). "Undefeated British Middleweight Talent Fabian Edwards Signs For Bellator MMA". MMAnytt.com. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  17. ↑ Smith, Ben (2019-02-09). "Bellator Newcastle Results: Fabian Edwards Impresses vs. Veteran Chadwick". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  18. ↑ Lagdon, Scott (2020-05-29). "Euro Fight Flashback: Fabian Edwards' upkicks lead to KO at Bellator Birmingham". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  19. ↑ Lee, Alexander K. (2019-05-16). "Bellator Birmingham co-headliner Falco Neto receives six-month suspension for failed drug test". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  20. ↑ Carroll, Peter (2019-05-21). "Fabian Edwards signs new contract, faces Jonathan Bosuku at Bellator London". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  21. ↑ Doherty, Dan (2019-06-22). "Bellator 223 Results: Fabian Edwards Has Clean Performance Against Jonathan Bosuku". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  22. ↑ Anderson, Jay (2019-11-23). "Bellator London Results: Fabian Edwards Earns Close Decision Against Michael Shipman". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  23. ↑ Gibbons, Justin (2020-02-28). "Edwards vs. Van Steenis Co-Main Event Added to Bellator: London". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  24. ↑ "Bellator postpones three MMA events in May due to the coronavirus pandemic". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  25. ↑ Cruz, Guilherme (2020-09-26). "Bellator Europe 8 results: Costello van Steenis gives Fabian Edwards first MMA loss in Milan". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  26. ↑ "Bellator 259 results: Austin Vanderford suffers nasty gash in decision win vs. Fabian Edwards". MMA Junkie. 2021-05-22. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
  27. ↑ "With Norbert Novenyi Jr. out, Fabian Edwards steps in to face Charlie Ward at Bellator 270". MMA Junkie. 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  28. ↑ Stevenson, Andy (2021-10-28). "Fabian Edwards vs Robert Fonseca Set for Bellator 270 in Dublin". MyMMANews.com. Retrieved 2021-10-28.
  29. ↑ Anderson, Jay (2021-11-03). "Fabian Edwards vs. Robert Fonseca Off Bellator 270 Card". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  30. ↑ Stevenson, Andy (2022-02-15). "Fabian Edwards vs Marian Dimitrov Cancelled from Bellator 275 Dublin Card". MyMMANews. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  31. 1 2 "Lyoto Machida vs. Fabian Edwards joins Bellator London lineup on May 13". MMA Junkie. 2022-02-16. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  32. ↑ Anderson, Jay (2022-05-13). "Bellator 281: Fabian Edwards Spoils Lyoto Machida's Middleweight Return, Secures KO Win". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  33. ↑ "Adam Piccolotti vs. Mansour Barnaoui headlines Bellator 287 in Milan, Italy". MMA Junkie. 2022-08-10. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  34. ↑ Battison, Paul. "Edwards outclasses Ward at Bellator 287 in Milan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
  35. ↑ "Bellator Paris: Fabian Edwards to fight Gegard Mousasi in May middleweight title eliminator". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  36. ↑ "Bellator 296: Fabian Edwards secures middleweight title shot with win over Gegard Mousasi in Paris". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
  37. ↑ Anderson, Jay (2023-05-12). "Bellator 296: Fabian Edwards Out-Strikes Gegard Mousasi, Title Fight Looms". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
  38. ↑ "Edwards beats Mousasi to set up Bellator title shot". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
  39. ↑ Dewar, Val (2023-09-23). "Bellator 299: Johnny Eblen Defends Middleweight Belt by Knocking Fabian Edwards Out Cold". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  40. ↑ "Fabian Edwards". Sherdog.
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