Introduction
Thursday, October 15th, American light heavyweight prospect Christian Edwards will be in action Bellator 249, where he will be looking to continue his undefeated streak against Hamza Salim. He will be looking for another win, as Edwards looks to impress the Bellator brass and become a main carder. He represents Jackson-Winklejohn MMA, a top camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Striking: The tape and what we’ve seen on Edwards so far show a guy who likes to bang on the feet and is quite good at it. Edwards is a knockout artist that uses a diverse striking arsenal to do his damage. He has good kicks, which he throws in there to compliment his excellent hands. He moves well and sets things up, but most times he can simply rely on hitting a big shot that leads to the end of the fight. Because of his length, he strikes from a distance before going for the death blow. Even from length, he can land knockout shots. We have not seen a lot of clinch striking from him, but my guess would be that he’s capable in that department as well.
Physical Gifts: Edwards has some natural strengths that you really can’t teach. He is an excellent athlete that is a combination of size and speed. He’s 6’5″, so he is big for the weight class, and while he doesn’t have gigantic, cosmetic muscles, he is physically strong. He combines that with good length, which is an advantage on the feet as well. He’s explosive with everything he does, grappling or striking. All of these things compliment the skills he has as a mixed martial artist.
Needs Improvement
Needs a Step Up in Competition: Edwards has been stellar so far as a pro and amateur. That said, he does need to take a step up in the level of guys he fights, so we can have a better gauge on his trajectory. That said, he’s only been in three pro fights, so obviously he is taking time to develop. His three opponents thus far have had just nine pro fights between them. That said, he still was excellent in those fights and that is why scouts hold him in high regard.
Outlook
Bellator Title Challenger: I think in a few years, Edwards is a guy that is going to be in title contention. He’s clearly got a high ceiling from what we’ve seen so far. He’s physically gifted. He’s a finisher. Once he proves he can hang with higher level talent, he will use that resume to take bigger fights with the company and get the wins necessary to eventually challenge for gold. He will build a helluva highlight reel on the way.
MMA Intel 