Opinion: A Tale of Two Great Welterweights

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

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Jason Jackson, whose moniker “The Ass-Kicking Machine” might be the best in the sport, scored the biggest victory of his career when he swept all five rounds from former Bellator MMA welterweight champion Douglas Lima in the Bellator 283 main event on July 22. In less than a month, Leon Edwards, riding a nine-fight winning strike (it would have been 10 if not for an eye poke against Belal Muhammad), will challenge top pound-for-pound champion Kamaru Usman for the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight crown. I see Edwards and Jackson as similar, and it’s instructive to examine their respective situations and what their differences tell us.

I will confess that I’m a huge fan of both guys. They represent the highest level of standup technique, with textbook strikes, stances and movement, blending offense and defense in a manner that is highly intelligent and beautiful to watch. They never take unnecessary risks, but they are great at taking advantage of opponents’ mistakes. They’re frequently described as “slick.” Being exceptional, dedicated martial artists, they have developed good grappling, including dangerous offensive wrestling. While I’m not arguing either man is as great as Pernell Whittaker, both remind me of the legendary boxing champion, whose cerebral mastery I grew up watching and loving in the 1990s. The man epitomized the term “Sweet Science.”

Let us examine Edwards’ case first. Despite his superlative skill, he has never gotten his due. There are actually three culprits here. The first is the UFC. I’ve previously noted that Edwards is a practitioner of what I call the Adesanya-Gane style. However, while UFC President Dana White has been only too happy to constantly push and promote both Israel Adesanya and Ciryl Gane, two other great strikers who wisely eschew risk while occasionally making for “boring” contests, that’s not true for Edwards. It’s a shame, because I personally find Edwards’ style even more aesthetically pleasing than those of either Adesanya or Gane, despite how much I appreciate the latter two. A second culprit is the fans. Everyone loves violence and crazy toe-to-toe slugfests, myself included, but not everyone appreciates the finer points of technique, defense and hitting while avoiding being hit in return. This is exacerbated by the UFC, of course, which promises and glorifies only the blood and guts-type of battle. The third culprit, I have to admit, is Edwards himself. He hasn’t attained anywhere near the dominance that either Adesanya or Gane have in his victories. His win against Vicente Luque back in 2017 was by the skin of his teeth; it was tied 1-1 going into the third round, and Edwards simply had more will and energy for the final stanza, edging out his tough rival. Edwards was also hurt badly in Round 1 by Bryan Barberena and lost either one or two rounds in a five-round decision triumph over Donald Cerrone in 2018. “Cowboy” had a lot left in the tank then, but plenty of people use that fight to dismiss Edwards now. Edwards then took the first two rounds against Gunnar Nelson but had to survive on his back in the third, garnering a split decision. Even more recently, he beat Nate Diaz in mostly convincing and even dominant fashion, but it was marred by Edwards being caught and badly hurt at the end of the match.

These are not indictments on Edwards as a fighter. These were all good, even excellent opponents, and he showed great heart and toughness in overcoming the challenges, but it doesn’t give him the same aura of invincibility that other fighters on long winning streaks have enjoyed. On a promotional level, Edwards is not a trash-talker and does not he enjoy starting controversy, which also hampers his profile.

Ultimately, none of it matters much anymore. Edwards will be in the cage against Usman on Aug. 20. He will have a shot at the UFC welterweight title, and frankly, I think he has a good chance of winning it. Part of that is how good Edwards is and how he matches up against Usman, as well as subtle changes in the champion himself. Usman is now 35 and has suffered some injuries recently. Usman’s knowledge and skills have continued to grow over the years, especially in terms of striking, but physically, he is past his prime now. Specifically, one sees this in Usman’s declining offensive wrestling. This shouldn’t come as a revelation. Even world champion and Olympic gold medal-winning wrestlers are either retiring or a shadow of their former selves at 35, let alone when they have knee problems.

Now, this decline might not matter much against a Jorge Masvidal, as Usman still has enough wrestling to comfortably beat him with no risk, as he did in their first encounter. However, against a much better wrestler like Edwards, one with great takedown defense and one who is also outstanding at getting back up from a takedown? This might be the difference between his grappling being effective or utterly neutralized. With his grappling neutralized, Usman will have to rely on his striking to win. While he is now a genuinely good kickboxer with plenty of power in his right hand, that’s still a match I favor Edwards in. That’s not to say I would consider Edwards the favorite overall, as there are many scenarios where Usman retains his title, but I can also see many successful endings for the challenger.

Compared to Jackson, Edwards has it good, for the simple reason that he fights in the UFC instead of Bellator, and we've long established the insane fan bias in favor of the former because of the logo on the canvas. If Edwards had shown the same level of fighting ability in any other organization, with a few of the same close calls or challenges, he wouldn’t even be ranked in the Top 10 by most fans. Thus, Jackson, who I think is a Top 5 welterweight alongside Usman, Edwards, Yaroslav Amosov and Colby Covington, is even more disrespected and overlooked by fans and pundits alike. Jackson is currently riding a six-fight winning strike over impressive opposition, including top contenders and former champions from both Bellator and the UFC. Kiichi Kunimoto, Jordan Mein, Benson Henderson, Neiman Gracie, Paul Daley and now Lima have all been thoroughly thrashed by “The Ass-Kicking Machine.” Jackson’s grappling isn’t quite as good as Edwards’, but his striking is even better and the only close calls he has had during his streak were against a world-class grappler in Gracie, who had him in some dominant positions in Round 1. Even so, Jackson showed his toughness and excellent scrambling, surviving and then avoiding the canvas in the second and third rounds while cleanly winning the striking.

Jackson’s dominant victory over a great striker in Lima proves he is among the elite of the sport. Not only is he a great kickboxer himself, but he is a dangerous wrestler who can beat anyone on the right day. Not that Jackson will get credit for it, of course. Were he displaying this same level in the UFC, he would be heavily hyped and assured a title shot, but alas, he continues to be dismissed by fans and pundits alike.

Things aren’t any easier in Bellator than they would be in the UFC in terms of opponents. The undefeated Amosov may be the best welterweight in the world, with superlative grappling that surpasses even Covington and Usman in that regard. For all his greatness, it represents a uniquely tough matchup for Jackson, and I would consider Amosov the favorite when it inevitably happens. Oh, and let’s not forget about Logan Storley, whose own striking has improved by leaps and bounds recently. He is the best pure wrestler going at 170 pounds, Covington and Usman included. He is a fantastic fighter, too, and I would rank him either sixth or seventh in the world, depending on what one thinks of Khamzat Chimaev.

Ultimately though, both Edwards and Jackson are getting their long-deserved dues. A lot of fans may not appreciate their sublime skills, and in Edwards’ case, his boss is no help either. They are fantastic at winning fights against high-level opposition and doing so consistently. Edwards will have his shot at the UFC throne in less than a month, and Jackson will likely have his opportunity at the Bellator title sooner rather than later.