Fabian Edwards promises he and brother Leon will be Bellator and UFC champions within the next year

Fabian Edwards believes he and his brother Leon will be stood side-by-side as world champions in Bellator and UFC respectively by the end of 2020.

Fabian, the younger of the Birmingham brothers, is one of Bellator’s hottest prospects with an 8-0 record and will fight for the fourth time this year when he takes on old rival Mike Shipman at Bellator London on November 23.

The 26-year-old is quickly plotting his route to the summit of the middleweight division – currently ruled by Rafael Lovato Jr, who took the strap from Gegard Mousasi in Bellator’s last visit to the capital in July.

A win over Shipman will confirm his status as the no1 middleweight in the UK, with Edwards targeting fights in the US next year so he can continue cleaning out the rest of the division.

“I think in the next six months or so I will be in the US,” Edwards told Standard Sport. “The path I’m going down, once I’ve taken down Shipman I will be the no1 guy in the UK.

"After that I’m targeting Costello van Steenis so I’m the no1 guy in Europe.

“After that, I want to go and start cleaning out these big names in America. I’m working towards the end of next year with my name being thrown in for the title shot. That’s the route, that’s what I’m planning.

“The names I’m fighting, that will decide how quickly I get to the title shot. I’m calling for these guys. I’m hoping after this one they will give me guys like Van Steenis and Lovato Jr and can challenge them.”

While Fabian has been tearing up Bellator, brother Leon has been inching his way towards the UFC welterweight title.

Leon, 28, is now the highest-ranked English fighter in Dana White’s promotion, fourth at 170lbs after huge wins over Donald Cerrone, Gunnar Nelson and Rafael dos Anjos in his last three outings.

Current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman puts his strap on the line against Colby Covington at UFC 245 in December. Fabian is confident his brother will be next in line and believes the two will reign as champions together before long.

“I really do. My brother, either his next fight or the fight after that will be a title shot. In my own right, by the end of next year I will be getting mine. So I feel in the next year or so you’ll see us both holding world titles in the biggest organisations in the world.”

For now, his focus is on Shipman and a fight he believes should have been the main event at the SSE Arena, Wembley in a couple of weeks.

Shipman comes into the fight after a first loss in six years against a man he has clashed with since their BAMMA days, with the two coming face-to-face for the first time in September for a tense staredown.

“I didn’t see nothing [in Shipman’s eyes],” Edwards continued. “I saw someone who didn’t want to be there. I can see the pressure is on him. He’s going to be coming into this fight emotional and not focused.”

Their bout will serve as the co-main event to Michael ‘Venom’ Page’s return to the capital and Edwards has made it clear who the big draw is in his fight – even against another London boy in Shipman.

“I’ve told him he should be saying thank you [for making the co-main event], thank you Mr Edwards. He’s fought in his hometown a few times. Last time [at Bellator London in July] he was only on the main card because he was fighting Van Steenis, not because of him.

“And it is the same again - he is co-main because of me. That just shows how much star power I’m picking up here in the UK.”

Tickets to Bellator London are on sale and can be purchased online from axs.com/uk and Bellator.com

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