Plan B is in place if things go wrong on the final day before arguably the biggest fight in women’s MMA history, and that plan is Joselyne Edwards.
Edwards (18-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC), the top contender in the UFC women’s bantamweight division, will serve as the official backup for Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes, co-main event of UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden on November 14.
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This is a huge UFC women’s bantamweight title fight. Harrison (19-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, two-time PFL tournament winner, and current UFC champion, defends her belt against UFC Hall of Famer Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC), who many consider the greatest female MMA fighter of all time.
It’s a big deal that Edwards could potentially fight Harrison or Nunes if someone can’t make it to the fight. Edwards is enjoying the opportunity, and feels well-deserved.
“Who else? No other girl did what I did with my winning streak,” Edwards told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “I win, and I win solidly – knockouts, finish. I said, “If not me, who else? I don’t see any other option. … I don’t want anyone bad. If the fight doesn’t happen, fine, but the winner has me. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, but if he can’t fight, I’ll be there, I’m ready.
Edwards is currently on a five-fight winning streak with two knockouts and two submission victories. Her most recent win came in April when she defeated Norma Dumont by unanimous decision, ending a six-fight sweep of the Brazilian. Another fighter some thought was worthy was Ailin Perez, who has a seven-fight winning streak in 2014 to beat Edwards, but all seven wins have come by decision.
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Although this UFC 334 opportunity might seem short-lived, with a little less than two weeks away from the fight, Edwards has plenty of time to prepare. With the announcement of Harrison vs. Nunes a few months back, Edwards waited for the call to get a backup role.
“After the last fight I went to Panama, and then I came back and trained, keeping good form, and that’s when my manager called me and said that there was a potential fight in October, which was the Utah card, and I said, “Yeah, I’m coming down to fight,” said Edwards. “I’m already defeated and training around the 15th of August. He had sent the present offer to Juliana Peña, and he did not want to fight it. Then they told me the 12th of December, and he still refused; he just said no. … I’m very pissed, but what are you going to do? So I was just training, and I felt that if I didn’t get booked, everything would be waiting for me to be a fighter. It’s official, so you’re definitely in. So I wasn’t 100 percent sure, but I knew I could be back.
In order for Edwards to be eligible to compete in the title match, he will have to weigh 135 pounds without the one-pound allowance allowed for non-sponsorships. Although not recently, Edwards has dropped weight three times in the UFC, most recently in 2024.
The Panamanian claims that he is on point and ready to go if the UFC needs him.
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“I could make weight this week,” Edwards said. “I’m super low in weight, but strong. I keep an eye on my weight. When I lost weight, I worked so hard to control it. I’m a professional fighter. In this streak, when I put all this together, I made 135.5, and I’m trying not to make it 135 with me. My weight is good, I’m healthy.”
This article first appeared on MMA Junkie: Joselyne Edwards not surprised to accept role for Harrison vs Nunes: ‘If not me, who else?’