What Fabian Did Next: Bellator Convinces Him to Stay Put
Fabian Edwards is a hot commodity in MMA right now. Despite coming off a loss at Bellator 299, he’s most certainly in the Bellator Middleweight World Championship scene, and he wants to be, as he’s re-signed with the company.
Staying in Bellator
Fabian Edwards might have been born in Kingston, Jamaica, and spent the majority of his childhood in Birmingham, England, but he feels at home at Bellator. As such, he penned a multi-fight contract extension with Bellator in mid-October, according to the MMAfighting Latest News. There are multiple reasons why he may have chosen this route, but one of the biggest selling points for European fighters is the locality of Bellator’s events. Compared to the UFC, Bellator does a lot more shows in the UK and mainland Europe. Edwards might fancy an away day to Vegas, New York, or California in the future, but so far, he’s shown that he’s more comfortable fighting closer to home.
Of course, he could just want to continue his journey to the Bellator Middleweight World Championship. His performance against Johnny Elben was pretty good, and even after picking up another L, his record is still 12-3. He’s still among the top within the division. He won’t be out of the title picture for too long – especially as the bout earned the Fight of the Night award for Bellator 299. He’s already stated that his recent loss is part of the process, so fans shouldn’t have to wait too long before seeing him again.
Is Bellator the Right Call in 2023?
Even before Bellator 300, if the Mma Latest Updates and rumors in the MMA world are true, it could be that Bellator is up for sale. Dana White has tried his best to devalue any movement by saying that the company isn’t worth anything, while others remark the promotion could be worth up to $500m. The issue is for fighters like Fabian Edwards. Does a potential sale of the company pose a danger to contracts if the company changes hands? One analyst from inside Bellator has said that if the PFL bought it (one of the leading parties likely to do so), they would cut around 80% of the roster. Edwards putting all his eggs in the Bellator basket might be a poor idea if he ends up unemployed at the end of it.
Where Else Could Edwards Fight?
Given that Edwards is one of the most relevant British fighters right now, there would have been interest from multiple promotions across the world. The UFC might have been interested in his services to promote alongside his brother, as well as bolstering its appeal to the transatlantic audience. Of course, he’s often commenting on his brothers’ fights, so he isn’t a stranger to Dana White.
OKTAGON MMA appears to only have grown in stature over the past year, having announced broadcast deals with both DAZN and Channel 4. In addition, they also operate a lot in the UK, so could keep Edwards happy by not moving him too far away from home.
The Professional Fighters League is potentially where Edwards will end up fighting, regardless of whether he’s signed a contract with Bellator. Should a deal finally materialize, PFL might want to put Edwards in their distinct MMA format. If Edwards went into the PFL system, it would certainly send a few MMA news websites into a frenzy.
Before joining Bellator full-time, Edwards divided his time between that promotion and BAMMA. Unfortunately, that company no longer exists. However, he did enjoy a lot of success at the UK regional level. Could he simply turn up to Cage Warrior events and laud it over the competition? While the pay might take a dip (knock at least a zero off any check), he’d be able to notch up a few more wins before calling it a day and potentially win a championship belt in the process.
He could, of course, join the growing number of MMA fighters who want to make a few gold coins by joining the crossover boxing circus. Edwards has been doing MMA for over six years, and he’s already on the wrong side of 30. Could he jack in the smart gloves and fight some punky YouTubers for a lot more money and make some online boxing news in the process?
Motivated by His Brother, Yet Makes his Path
The Edwards family is blessed with not one but two successful MMA fighters. Fabian’s brother, Leon Edwards, is arguably more successful as he holds the welterweight championship in the UFC. In May 2023, Fabian stated that seeing his brother succeed at the highest level of MMA was a real inspiration for him, as he stated that he also wanted to hold silverware ahead of his title fight at Bellator 299 against Johnny Eblen.
After Fabian lost that fight, Leon Edwards stormed into the cage to confront Eblen, who had been celebrating his victory a little too vehemently (screaming into Fabian’s face while he was semi-conscious on the floor). The incident was cooled down eventually by security, and all three men left the cage on good terms.
His admiration might stop him from wanting to join the UFC. The two might not be in the same weight division, but they aren’t too far away from one another. Therefore, participating in different companies eliminates the chance of having to fight one another. Fabian also probably wants to be treated as his own man rather than someone who has to stick by his champion brother.
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