Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Farah Hannoun and Abbey Subhan

Bellator 281: Fabian Edwards happy to prove he’s still ‘Mr. Tasty Shots’ with knockout of Lyoto Machida

LONDON – Fabian Edwards came into Bellator 281 with a chip on his shoulder and he delivered.

Edwards (10-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) needed just over three minutes to knock out Lyoto Machida in the co-main event Friday at OVO Arena Wembley in London, snapping a two-fight losing skid.

In his pre-fight interview, Edwards stated that he didn’t want to hear any excuses when he stops Machida and the formerly unbeaten middleweight was keen to remind everyone of the run he was on before tasting defeat.

“You lose one or two fights and people think you’re finished,” Edwards told MMA Junkie post-fight at Bellator 281. “That, for me, was to go in there and prove that I am still ‘Mr. Tasty Shots’ and that’s what I’ve done tonight. He fought Bader and Mousasi, and he fought Davis, and none of them guys could finish him. I done that in one round so what does that say about my skills?”

Edwards’ finishing sequence started with an elbow, where he was able to wobble Machida while breaking off the clinch. He followed that up with a barrage before knocking out the former UFC light heavyweight champion out cold.

“I envisioned that I would dominate and that’s being honest,” Edwards said. “I thought I could finish him, but I also envisioned that I’d be able to dominate for the whole 15 minutes and that’s what I was ready for. I was ready to go in there and walk out with half my face hanging off but with a win because I said all week by any means necessary I’m winning that fight and I done that.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.