SALT LAKE CITY – Stephen Thompson is confident Leon Edwards will stay champion if his expected fight with Colby Covington actually goes down.

Many may see the potential welterweight title fight as an even and competitive affair, but Thompson feels it should be a very manageable task for the champion given what we’ve seen in his recent fights.

“Oh, I got Leon winning,” Thompson told reporters at the UFC 291 media day on Wednesday. “I mean, you saw what Usman did to Colby the last two fights. Colby is not a big welterweight and Leon is fairly a big welterweight, a lot bigger than Colby. Colby is known for his cardio, but Leon showed in his last two fights that he’s got the cardio with the best of them, and he’s got the grappling to defend the takedown and get back up.

“Kamaru is a very strong wrestler. I think he’s a lot stronger than Colby. So if Usman couldn’t hold Leon down, I don’t think Colby could. I think the fight stays standing and Leon picks him apart. That’s what I’m seeing from the fights that I’ve seen these guys face Usman in. The thing is, it doesn’t matter if it’s first round or last round. Watching his first fight with (Usman), you have to be, you can’t take this fight lightly as the fight goes on. He’s dangerous every step of the way.”

Thompson (17-6-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC), who is on the hunt for another title shot, returns to the octagon this Saturday against Brazil’s Michel Pereira (28-11 MMA, 6-2 UFC). The two fight on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 291 at Delta Center.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.