Edwards TKO’d Kyle Jensen (36-11-2) at Raging Wolf V October 10 and tapped James Warfield (1-1) in a triangle choke at Shine 2 September 4, both intense performances for the veteran who has recommitted himself at American Top Team to returning to the top of the lightweight division.

“You know, I think it’s all mental.  You hear coming up that so much of this sport is mental and you don’t really understand it until you’ve been around for awhile,” Edwards explained Friday.  “Now, I’ve been around for awhile and I’ve seen a lot of guys not perform the way they’re capable of.  But, I know where I need to be and I’m just ready to fight.”

But, MFC CEO Mark Pavlich said Friday, “It’s a one-off.”  He was referring to Edwards’s new one-fight contract with MFC.  “Let’s see where Yves is at.”

That’s a challenge to Edwards to show Canadian MMA fans and the world that he’s still one of the world’s most dynamic, intimidating fighters at 155-pounds.

“I’m down to be around [in the MFC],” Edwards said.  “Guys I’m friends with – Pete Spratt, Luigi Fioravanti – they’ve told me they’ve been treated real well by MFC.  I’ve seen the shows and it’s a great production.  This is a one-fight contract, but I want to show what I can do and sign a multi-fight deal.”

Before Edwards’s two wins over Jensen and Warfield, Edwards had dropped two to “Bang” Duane Ludwig (19-10) and former EliteXC 165-pound champ KJ Noons (7-2), and before that had won three consecutive.  Streaks of wins and losses have defined Edwards’s career since he went 7-0 from 2003 through 2005.

That streak included a highlight reel flying head kick knockout of former Strikeforce champ  “Punk” Josh Thomson (15-3-1) and two split decision victories over fellow MFC lightweight and former UFC title challenger Hermes Franca (19-8).

In Edmonton February 26, Edwards will fight Sweden’s Per Eklund (14-4-1), also debuting in MFC.

“He’s good off his back, he’s a good kickboxer,” Edwards said of his opponent.  “He’s not a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.  He’s good at everything.”  But, Edwards added, “My advantage is being able to make adjustments in fights to take advantage of weaknesses.”

Both lightweights have the full MMA skill set making for an unpredictable, exciting matchup.  They share just one common opponent.  Edwards lost a unanimous decision to “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2) in 2003 while Eklund was TKO’d by Kawajiri in 2006.  Edwards will be the favorite going into the fight, but Eklund is eminently capable of an upset if Edwards takes him lightly.

While gunning to extend his winning streak to three with a win over Eklund, Edwards said he has no interest in making it three wins over Hermes Franca during his MFC career.

“Yeah, they were close fights, good fights, but I’ve beat [Franca] twice.  There’s really no reason for me to fight him again unless it’s for a title,” said Edwards.

And, Edwards expects to ride his current win streak right into an MFC lightweight title, through Eklund in February, Franca in the future if necessary, and any fighter MFC pits him against.

But, “The Dog” bit early!  Schiavo dropped Eklund with a big right hand early in round one and landed another in the second round as Eklund closed the distance to take the fight to the mat.

Eklund shook both punches off.  After the direct hit in the second-round, Eklund pulled Schivao to the mat and took his back; but, Schiavo swept to top position and ended the round landing periodic shots from the top position.

“I came into the fight too relaxed,” Eklund admitted.  “I was kind of a slow starter.  I felt he was going at me really hard and I just felt, ‘I’m going to let him go.  In the second round, he going to get tired.’”

Eklund wasted no time taking Schiavo back to the mat to begin round three; and, Schiavo, confident from the encounter in the second round, rolled to his stomach.  But, Eklund leashed his arm around “The Dog’s” neck and forced the tap.

The “W” is Eklund’s first in the Octagon, while Schiavo has come up short in both of his UFC fights.

“I twisted my ankle in the first round,” Eklund compained after the fight.  “I twisted it quite early.  I don’t know who…I mean, how.”

“Count” Michael Bisping (16-1) 185 pounds v “Crippler” Chris Leben (18-4) 186 pounds

“I’m glad you guys let me into your country,” main event fighter Leben said at Thursday’s press conference.  “I was a little worried on the plane.”

Leben was originally scheduled to fight Bisping in London 7 June, but opted to put to rest legal issues in Oregon stemming from an earlier DUI arrest to ensure a legal UK visa.

But, the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of Brit Bisping, who told the press, “I am on a quest.  Losing this fight for me is not an option.”

Leben, wearing tight cornrows, chided his opponent, saying, “It seems to me that, when Michael Bisping fights, self-preservation is top on his list.”

A brawl would certainly benefit Leben.  Bisping’s stand-up style is a bit more circle-and-poke, while Leben is happy to plant and throw bombs.

“We’re going to be lettin’em fly!  We’re going to be having fun doin’ it,” Leben promised, which usually means they’ll knock their heads together shooting for takedowns at the opening bell.

But, let’s hope not.

Eighth-ranked “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1) 205 pounds v “The Truth” Brandon Vera (9-2) 203 pounds

At the pre-fight press conference Thursday, a very serious Vera turned to Jardine and challenged, “We’re going to be together for 15 minutes in the Octagon and I hope, I hope we get to find out a lot about each other before one of us goes to sleep.”

Jardine agreed, and quipped, “He’s got a real pretty style; and, me, I got a real awkward, real mean style.  So, it’s kind of going to be kind of like a beauty and the beast type thing.”

Jardine is coming off a 36-second knockout loss to seventh-ranked “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-81) in May; and, Vera made a disappointing debut at 205-pounds in a unanimous decision “W” over Reese Andy (7-2) in July.

Vera, a former heavyweight, summed up the meaning of the fight: “Me and Keith are both at a point in our career right now where we get either to take one huge step forward or end up taking two or three steps back.”

“Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (14-4) 169 pounds vs. “Tellys” Paul Kelly (7-0) 169 pounds

Davis will try to come back strong from a loss to “Quick” Mike Swick (12-2) in June versus Kelly, who Davis called “a brawler.”

Davis put down the weights for this fight in favor of getting back to his boxing background.

“I’m going to make-up for it in technique and speed.  Being able to fight off angles and stuff like that.  It might look like I’m right in front of him, but I’m actually not going to be right in front of him,” Davis said.

Kelly, of Wolfslair Academy, revealed, “You never know where it’s going to be.  It’s MMA.  You know?  I can’t guarantee I’m going to put Marcus on the mat.  We’ve worked on what we think he’s going to do.”

Ninth-ranked “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) 205 pounds v “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1) 206 pounds

“Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-16-5) 170 pounds v “Relentless” Paul Taylor (9-3-1) 170 pounds

Akihiro Gono (28-12-7) 171 pounds v “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (19-6) 169 pounds

Shane Carwin (9-0) 264 pounds v “Old Skool” Neil Wain (4-0) 254 pounds

David Bielkheden (12-6) 156 pounds v “Joker” Jess Liaudin (12-10) 155 pounds

Terry Etim (10-2) 155 pounds v “Hands of Stone” Sam Stout (13-4-1) 155 pounds
 
David Baron (16-2) 155 pounds v Jim Miller (11-1) 155 pounds

“Dog” Samy Schiavo (10-5) 156 pounds v Per Eklund (13-3-1) 156 pounds