Leon Edwards has warned Nate Diaz not to underestimate him ahead of their upcoming fight at UFC 262, saying "it's going to be a bad night for him" if he does so.

Edwards (18-3, 1 NC) has established himself as one of the top welterweight contenders in the UFC since making his debut in 2014.

Now he will look to consolidate his position at the top of the rankings when he meets Diaz in the co-main event of the card headlined by Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler for the vacant UFC lightweight title.

Speaking to ESPN reporter Ariel Helwani, Edwards said that while he respects what Diaz brings to the table, the Stockton favourite should not take him lightly. 

When asked if he feels Diaz is underestimating him, Edwards replied: "If he (Nate Diaz) is, then it’s going to be a bad night for him, you know.

"I don’t know — let’s see, I don’t really care if he is or not, it doesn’t make a difference. Once the cage is locked, then we’re going to find out."

The constraints of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have caused an unprecedented amount of disruption to the promotion and its fighters.  

But the 29-year-old British fighter insists he is fully prepared for the task at hand. 

"I feel good, my last four fights have been main events," he added. "We’re preparing for main events for the last two years, so it’s perfect for me.

"My style is — I can move my style to a five-round fight, you know. I feel good about the five-rounds, and (it’s) just longer punishment for Nate than anything, you know, that’s it.

"Everyone saying it benefits Nate because when he fought Masvidal rounds four and five were where he was starting to turn on, so we'll see. If that's his gameplan then it's going to be a long first three rounds.

"I've never been stopped, never been submitted, never been knocked out, so I don't understand what difference it will make.

"I'm coming in there to hurt him, I'm coming in there to put him away, I'm coming in there to prove that I am levels above these guys."

Edwards, aka "Rocky," improved his professional record to 18-3 by beating former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos via unanimous decision before his bout with Belal Muhammad was declared a no contest after an inadvertent eye poke. 

Last month, he was linked to a potential title eliminator with Colby Covington, but the UFC has opted to pair him with Diaz instead.