By Daniel Vreeland

When scanning through the longest winning streaks in the UFC's welterweight division, fans might be surprised to see UFC Fight Night 127 competitor Leon Edwards ranked among some higher-profile fighters. 

After losing a bout to 170-pound contender Kamaru Usman, Edwards rattled off four straight to put himself in the top 15 of the division. 

Although he is motivated by his current run, he’s not satisfied with where he’s at just yet. Some of that has to do with his goals, and some of it has to do with matchmaking. 

“I thought I deserved a ranked opponent… I’m on a four-fight win streak,” Edwards said in an interview with the Top Turtle MMA Podcast on FloCombat. “There’s not many guys in my division on a four-fight win streak.”

Instead, Edwards finds himself facing Peter Sobotta, a fighter who is 4-1 in his second stint with the promotion, this Saturday in London. 

While Sobotta is not the opponent Edwards was looking for, the Jamaican-born British fighter hasn't let that affect his approach to this bout.

“It is what it is," Edwards said. “Sobotta stepped up to the plate, and respect to him, but I’m going out there to put him away.”

Edwards' confidence comes not just from a talent perspective but also from his comfort in fighting at home. He has a number of fights outside of the United Kingdom, but he feels he can’t be touched inside.

“I’ve never lost in Europe. I love competing here. The fans are great," Edwards said. “I find it easier to get up and drive two hours and fight.”

Like many fighters, Edwards never wants to overlook his opponent, but he’s got some big plans for this year if all works out. 

“My aim this year: crack that top 10, top five," said Edwards, noting that he's shooting for a top 10 opponent should he get past Sobotta. 

But he’s also hoping for a specific opponent in the near future. 

Usman has the distinction of being the last fighter to defeat Edwards and is the only thing preventing his winning streak from reading "seven" versus "four." 

“One hundred percent, I want to get that win back," Edwards said. “He’s definitely on my list."