Yves Edwards MMAMemories.com Exclusive Biofile Published by Scoop Malinowski Last Updated on March 8th, 2008

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Status: Elite XC Lightweight contender.

Ht: 5-9 Wt: 155

Born On: September 30, 1976 In: Nassau, Bahamas

Childhood Heroes: “Batman and Bruce Lee.”

Hobbies/Interests: “I just like to train and play video games, hang out with my girl.”

Favorite Movies: “Blackhawk Down and Enter The Dragon are two of the best movies ever made.”

Musical Tastes: “I like whatever sounds good. I don’t listen to any country. No country whatsoever [smiles]. I don’t really have favorite groups of singers. But Eminem can rap. I like some of Ludakris’ stuff. Rap today is getting to be a bunch of bragging, shooting people and keepin’ ho’s. I like a lot of reggae from back home. Bahamian music.”

Favorite TV Shows: “Sidekicks, Ernie Reyes – that was cool. Voyagers.”

Funny Fighting Memory: “I don’t know. I don’t think anything’s funny in fighting. I do remember a friend of mine, a teammate of mine (Jace Jeans), he was talking about all the girls we’re gonna get when we go up to Dallas when we beat up these guys in the tournament. And he was like talking to every girl after his fight, saying, Hey, did you see me out there tonight? And absolutely no girls were interested in us [smiles].”

Favorite Meal: “I love lasagne. Anything Italian. I’m eating pizza right now, man. Also, we have a dessert in the Bahamas – ‘guva duff.’ That’s the best. There’s nothing like it. It’s guavas in sweet sauce cooked and baked in a doughy dough. It’s so good you’d want to go to the Bahamas just to have it.”

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “Cookie Crisp, chocolate chip.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Chocolate chip cookie dough. That’s the first thing I eat after a UFC or a Shooto fight…I go to a Baskin Robbins. Or I go to a Cinnabon and get a Cinnabon. You’re making me hungry, man!”

Childhood Dreams: “I used to want to be a basketball player. I thought I’d be tall like my dad but it didn’t work out. Then I figured I’d just punch people in the face. I also wanted to be a superhero, I really did. I remember telling my friends in 4th grade, when we grow up, we’ll get some plutonium and bathe an ant in radiation, let him bite me so I can have super ant powers. I was a big comic book fan as a kid. I was pretty stupid as a kid [smiles]. How’s this? Then I thought I could walk on water. ‘Cause I knew oil floats on water. So I went down to the beach, put baby oil on my feet. But it didn’t work out [smiles].”

First Job: “Caribbean Bottling Co., a Coca Cola plant in Nassau. I fixed up vehicles, painted them, pulled dents, all that stuff (age 12).”

First Car: “1978 yellow Toyota Celica. It looked like Pac Man. I called it Pac Man.”

Pre-Fight Feeling: “I still – even to this day – get nervous. I think I’ve had a lot of fights. All I think about is picturing the fight in my head. I walk through the fight in my mind. I don’t see my opponent being able to do anything to me. Then, when the referee says Go!, all the nerves just turn to energy then and I’m ready to go. Then it’s all just fun and games from then on.”

Early Fighting Memory: “Wow. My very first fight, I lost. Amateur tournament here in Texas, Party Slam in ’96. I was on my back the whole time. One 20 minute round. And the whole time I was defending the kimura. I remember the ref saying, Two minutes left. And thinking all I have is two minutes…I have to figure something out to submit this guy. And it didn’t work out, I couldn’t get him off me. I remember my friend asking me, Why didn’t you just tap? But I was trying to submit the guy. I hated the idea of tapping out or just holding to make the time limit. I wanted to win.”

Greatest Career Moment: “Hmmm. Man. Wow. I don’t think it’s happened yet. It will be when I win the UFC Lightweight title. Right now it’s having a highlight on the Best Damn Sports Show…when they showed the Robbie Lawler fight they showed my knockout kick of Joao Parini.”

Most Painful Moment: “Hoooo. I lost to Uno. When I lost to Caol Uno, I think the fight changed a lot about me. I’ve lost before, but then to fight one of my heroes…to lose to him and not have given him my best and at the same time give him a tough fight…it hurt. Because I wondered…if I had given him my best, would I have been able to pull it off?”

Worst Injury: “Fortunately I haven’t had any. Five stitches, that’s about it. In my fight with Matt Serra. He was working for the heel hook and landed a couple of punches right under my (right) eye.”

Favorite Fighters: “Everybody. Nowadays everybody is so good. I always like to watch Uno. He’s a little Japanese Energizer Bunny. He just doesn’t stop. He’s constantly going. Endless amount of energy. Tito Ortiz. Chuck Liddell. I would say Tito is gonna win. But I would say Chuck is the only light heavyweight who has a chance to beat Tito. The odds are in Tito’s favor but it’s not so one-sided as all his other fights.”

Favorite Fights: “Uno-Rumano Sato I, II. The first fight was a battle. They went to war. Uno just wouldn’t give up. He never would give up. In the second fight (after Uno’s win), everybody made excuses for Sato, saying he was too busy doing promotion for the first fight, he didn’t have time to train. And in the second fight nobody gave Uno a chance. And Uno knocked him out with a kick in the head in the first round. ”

Favorite Vacation Spot: “Anywhere with my girl (Arlene). Just when we’re together we usually have a good time. Wherever…just as long as she’s there.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “I like honest people. That’s the most important thing. That’s a pre-requisite for every other quality. If you’re honest, you’re not gonna screw anyone over. Or you’re not gonna make excuses for yourself if you don’t succeed. I believe honesty leads to hard work, it leads to being respectful. Just a well-rounded person.”