THACKERVILLE, Okla. – Standing in front of Christian Edwards, it’s pretty easy to understand the comparisons he’s getting early in his career to an all-time great.
Edwards hasn’t had a single pro fight yet – his pro debut comes Friday at Bellator 218 – but already he’s being compared to UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. A 20-year-old light heavyweight, Edwards is built similarly to an early Jones. And if you close your eyes, you probably could be convinced their voices sound alike.
Then there’s the part about Edwards training at JacksonWink MMA in Albuquerque, N.M. – right alongside Jones.
So are the comparisons already getting old, or are they a leg-up this early in his career?
“It’s definitely a good thing,” Edwards on Wednesday told MMA Junkie. “Jon’s also a great friend of mine and a good motivator, too – always at the gym giving me good advice, giving me good rounds. I really appreciate having him as a friend and a training partner.
“(The comparisons) are definitely going to be there. It is what it is. I’m sure at one point in his career, he was known as Rashad Evans’ training partner. Eventually, I’ll make my own name and build my own legacy. But right now, I’m OK with it.”
Edwards (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on Friday makes his pro debut against Roman Huerta (1-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on the Bellator 218 prelims at WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
With plenty of high-level fighters around him in the gym, Edwards said there’s no shortage of brains to pick when it comes to getting advice for his move into the pros, and at one of the highest levels in the sport.
“I’ve talked to Diego – Diego Sanchez is a good friend of mine and a good mentor to me,” he said. “And I’ve talked to Bevon Lewis – he’s also a very good friend of mine. They all keep telling me the same thing, and hopefully I can just come in and remember what they told me and perform to the best of my ability.”
For more from Edwards, check out the video above.
And for more on Bellator 218, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
