Fabian Edwards happy to ‘retire’ Gegard Mousasi after Van Steenis fight as he plots leading ‘new age’ of Bellator stars
FABIAN EDWARDS is confident he can lead the ‘new age’ of Bellator fighters – and will challenge the past and current best to do so.
The middleweight faces Costello van Steenis on Saturday’s Milan headliner and believes he is within touching distance of the now-vacant belt.
With welterweight king Douglas Lima, 32, moving up to fight veteran Gegard Mousasi, 35, for the strap, Edwards will have a close eye on the division’s development.
But win or lose, he has no problems in attempting to send former UFC fighter Mousasi into retirement as he looks to overhaul those who led the way before him.
And Edwards, 27, not only wants big names on his record, he wants to steal their knowledge by sharing the cage with them.
He told SunSport: “I feel like this is my time. It’s a new age of fighters that are confident, not like back in the day where people only had one skillset.
“After I get through Costello, I believe I am one or two fights away from the belt. I’ve been calling for the top names.
“I’ve said, Costello is next, then after it’s the likes of John Salter, Gegard Mousasi, and I would say Lyoto Machida, but he’s gone up a weight class.
“I feel like not only for namesake but for experience, to go in there and fight guys who have had 30, 40, 50 fights, that’s experience you can’t buy.
“Those fights would be great for my career.
“Even if Mousasi loses against Lima, I’d still be happy to retire him. He’s spoken about retirement about two fights ago.
“I’d be happy to go in there and retire him and show people it’s time for the new age to come through.”
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Edwards was due to face 28-year-old Van Steenis in May, until the coronavirus pandemic KO’d the clash.
In the months following, both fighters have done their bit to strengthen their rivalry online.
Van Steenis is adamant he is prepared for all outcomes, even boasting that he is ‘war ready’.
But despite Edwards mirroring his opponent in the verbal battle, he predicts a more calculated, technical outcome, when it comes to visualising the fight.
Edwards explained: “I’m a thinking fighter, I go out there and take people apart, smart. I never go in there and throw myself into a scrap.
“I see him saying. ‘I’m ready for war’ but I’ve never said I’m ready for war, I’m ready to go out there and take someone out techically.
“A war means you’re getting hit and leaving with cuts – that won’t be happening on my side.
“My training partners probably hate me now, I’ve been training to go out there and put the pressure on him.”
To kill time in quarantine, as Edwards awaited results of his pre-fight Covid-19 test, the fighter conducted a Q&A on Instagram.
There he insisted fighting without fans does not faze him – having spent his early life doing the same on the streets of Birmingham to settle feuds.
Edwards – who only picked up the gloves aged 22 having been inspired by his brother Leon – feels the empty atmosphere suits him down to the ground.
He said: “Where I grew up, if you had a problem it was a one-on-one in the park situation.
“If you was to speak to anyone that knew me back then, they’d say I’m the same Fabian, I’m just more technical now.
“I’m more confident, when people say, ‘How do you deal without a crowd?’ It’s going to make me perform better.
“I’ve got no distractions, I can hear my corner team and I can go out there and perform how I know I can.
“I’ve been prepped well and since I’ve jumped in this sport I’ve dedicated myself. This is the new age of fighters that is a different breed.”
- Watch Bellator Milan: Edwards vs. van Steenis live on Channel 5 from 10pm BST on Saturday, September 26