EXCLUSIVE | Jai Herbert Details Why Leon Edwards, Jake Hadley, and Himself are Hugely Supported

British UFC lightweight Jai Herbert has detailed the reason why Leon Edwards, Jake Hadley, and himself are hugely supported.

MMA fighters often have difficult upbringings or have experienced hardship prior to their fighting careers. This lends itself to fans offering lots of support both on social media and in the stadiums on fight night.

For British fighters, this support is only amplified by the typical fan culture that you will find in the UK.

Edwards, Hadley, and Herbert are all based out of the West Midlands and have received this support from fans in the area and all over the country.

Ahead of UFC London, ‘The Black Country Banger’ detailed why he and his fellow Midlands fighters receive such support whenever the UFC returns to the UK.

He said: “I think we got a lot of support, you know. I think it’s because a lot of people can relate to us [and] our kind of background.

“We’re from a working class [area], Wolverhampton, we’re hard workers. Myself, I was a scaffolder, I came from a council estate and I’ve got to the biggest promotion in the world in mixed martial arts.

“A lot of people can relate to my background, they wanna see me do well. And it’s the same for Jake Hadley and obviously Leon [Edwards] as well. People relate to them, and love their stories, especially Leon’s – coming from Jamaica, the troubles he’s been through. Jake, the same as me, from the Black Country, hard-working family.

“A lot of people resonate with us and they relate to us. I think that’s why we get a lot of support and I’m just overwhelmed by it.”

Herbert on Matchup Against Fares Ziam at UFC London

UFC 286 saw Herbert face Ludovit Klein following his bounce-back win against Kyle Nelson last year. However, the bout ended in a controversial draw due to point deduction and denied the Wolverhampton man from a first UFC win streak.

The 35-year-old is now set to take on Fares Ziam on July 22 at the second UFC London event of the year. He discussed the matchup with the Frenchman in an exclusive interview with Combat Sports UK.

He said: “I think it’s a good matchup, pretty similar styles to be honest. He’s a tall, rangy kickboxer, he doesn’t mind grappling a bit if you watch his fights. He does like to mix it up, shooting for double-legs and such.

“I see me going out there and getting the win, winning every position to be honest, the striking and the grappling.

“I’m confident to go out there and get the win. I’ve got the mentality for how I’m gonna beat him over three rounds but I’ll be looking to get the stoppage, get the finish.”