Christian Edwards wants CFFC title, UFC call: 'I believe that the UFC is where I'm destined to be'

CFFC 142 headliner grateful for Bellator run but believes bigger things are ahead, starting with Saturday’s event on UFC FIGHT PASS.

Christian Edwards has enjoyed a unique journey in MMA, starting his professional career with a major promotion. But after eight fights under the Bellator MMA banner, the organization was absorbed by the PFL, and Edwards was left looking for a new home.

It wasn't back to the regional stage for Edwards, as he had never been there before, leaving him treading in uncertain waters.

"Just like anything that is unfamiliar, it was challenging," Edwards said. "It was something that at first, it was hard for me to accept, you know? But that's the thing. I'm strong in my faith, and I believe that even in the times where I was facing adversity in my career, God was just protecting me, looking out for me, you know?

"I see that everything happened exactly the way it was supposed to. Going back to square one, starting from scratch, having to fight in the regional scene was the biggest blessing that I could have possibly received in my career."

A longtime Jackson Wink MMA fighter, Edwards noted that friends of his such as Aaron Pico and Patchy Mix were struggling to move their careers forward until their recent UFC deals. Meanwhile, Edwards was able to get a couple of appearances on the regional stage, taking home first-round stoppages in each of those matchups, helping him to continue building his skills and honing his craft.

Those wins earned him a call to headline Saturday's CFFC 142, where Edwards (7-3 MMA, 0-0 CFFC) will challenge undefeated reigning champion Luke Fernandez (4-0 MMA, 4-0 CFFC) in the night's main event, which streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS from New Jersey's Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.

Edwards realizes the importance of the moment and believes it was destined for him to be in this position.

"I feel great," Edwards said. "I feel ready, excited. It's a new chapter of my career. I do have experience on the big stage. This is something totally new, it's totally different, and I'm still young, you know what I mean? I'm only 26, and I'm just getting started.

"I believe that the stars aligned exactly how they were supposed to for this moment, to be able to fight for CFFC, which is a phenomenal promotion, UFC FIGHT PASS – the biggest opportunity of my life, unquestionably, and I couldn't be more excited. I'm just grateful for the opportunity, and I'm ready to put on one hell of a performance."

Of course, his opponent has different ideas about how the stars have aligned. Fernandez has never lost, as an amateur or a pro, and he'll have the support of his hometown crowd as he seeks to defend his title for the second time.

Edwards sees the skills Fernandez holds but believes his own talents are simply a little bit better.

"He's skillful, he's good," Edwards said. "I have a lot of respect for him. I know that he presents a challenge. He has things that definitely are respectable. I have to respect it, but I believe there are levels to this, and I just don't believe that he's on my level. I feel like I'm just going to be a little too much for him. I believe it's really going to show, especially in this fight,

"I know he's confident, and that's what I want. I want him to believe that he's going to win. I want him to believe that he's better than me, and going into enemy territory, you know, it's nothing new for me. That's how it was my last two fights, going into enemy territory. The crowd doesn't really faze me. Boo, cheer, it makes no difference. I'm there to do my job. I'm there to win."

Should Edwards prove correct, it could certainly be an incredibly valuable result for his career. Fernandez has been one of CFFC's top stars for the past few years, widely believed to be well on his way to a UFC contract. Should Edwards come in and and steal that hype, there are currently just 40 athletes on the UFC's light heavyweight roster, so it's not unreasonable to think he would immediately be on Mick Maynard's radar.

Edwards understands what's at stake and says he's ready to deliver.

"I think you see a very dominant, a very skillful and a very, very focused and tuned in Christian Edwards – the best Christian Edwards that anyone has ever seen," Edwards said. "Whether you've seen me fight or haven't seen me fight, you're going to see someone who they're going to look at, and they're going to be like, 'That kid needs to be in the UFC. He's ready. He is that guy,' because I am that guy.

"I believe that the UFC is where I'm destined to be. At the end of the day the only one that is capable of stopping me from getting where I'm going is me. It's all mental, you know? I don't think Luke Fernandez is going to stop me. He's not ready. That's it. He's not ready. He is a skillful opponent. I respect him, but he's not going to stand in my way. He's in my way, and I've got to destroy him. That's it. It's all business."