Why Leon Edwards nickname is ‘Rocky’?

Here is an article on Leon Edwards's nickname and the emotional story behind being called 'Rocky'. He got the name in his Highschool.

<strong>Why Leon Edwards nickname is ‘Rocky’?</strong>

Leon Edwards (Image Courtesy: British GQ)

Leon Edwards is the current reigning UFC Welterweight champion of the world. The Brit took the title by beating Kamaru Usman with a vicious knockout at UFC 278. After capturing the belt, Edwards got all the attention of the fans and media and ‘Rocky’ became a legend in the UK as well as among all the fight fans. 

There is a good reason why Leon Edwards is called ‘Rocky’ the story behind it is quite inspirational. The fighter in an interview mentioned that he in his teenage time would constantly get into fights and he couldn’t escape it at all.

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He said: “It was mostly fighting. I fought to defend friends, I fought to intimidate and I fought because of beefs. I fought all the time.” According to Edwards, he got his nickname in school because of his tendency to get into fights frequently. “That’s why my nickname is ‘Rocky’. I got that from school. That was before I got into MMA. I got it just from scrapping in the streets.” 

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Edwards will always get into trouble and his single mother had to save him every time from fights as well as the law. She was hugely disappointed in Edwards until he joined an MMA gym.

Related: Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman: UFC 286 Full Fight Card, Where to Watch, TV Channel and Betting Odds

Bullying and hardships while growing up made Leon Edwards ‘Rocky’

Leon Edwards
Leon Edwards (Image Courtesy: MMA Mania)

Leon Edwards was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and at age nine he moved to the Aston area of Birmingham, England. In his early schooling years, he was bullied a lot for his Jamaican accent. 

At the age of 14, Edwards had to experience the death of his father who got shot in a nightclub in London. After that things got even harder and Edwards got involved with gangs that were famous in his neighborhood. 

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“There was the Johnson Crew and the Burger Bar Boys. They were rivals, and violence constantly broke out between both sides. I fell in with the younger kids. I didn’t plan to get into a gang. It’s just what you did. It was a means of survival,” said Edwards.

All the hardships the fighter faced as a kid actually fuelled him to work hard and do better in life. Edwards’ past really helped him to become ‘Rocky’ who is currently an inspiration for many. 

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