Christian Edwards admits the first time he met Jon Jones, it took all he had just to keep his cool.

“I was trying my absolute best not to fanboy out when I got here,” Edwards told MMAjunkie. “These are guys I grew up watching, and they’re right there.

“He showed up, and I was like whispering to myself, ‘Don’t be weird, don’t be weird. Just be yourself. Don’t be that guy.'”

Edwards was a fresh face at New Mexico’s famed Jackson Wink MMA and was still getting settled in his new training home. Meanwhile, Jones was getting back to work at the facility, stepping in and looking to get back in fighting shape ahead of his UFC 232 clash with Alexander Gustafsson.

When Jones saw the 6-foot-5 Edwards, he instantly took an interest.

“If there was something that I wasn’t getting, he wouldn’t hesitate to explain it to me and really break it down in a way that I cold understand it,” Edwards said. “After that practice, he asked me if I wanted to move around in the cage a little bit because he was just getting back into training, and he was trying to get back into fight shape. We moved around for 10 or 11 rounds of just flowing.”

For Edwards, the experience was one that seemed impossible not all that long ago. The Oklahoma native wasn’t destined for any kind of athletic greatness and only began his martial arts journey as a last-ditch effort from his mother to keep him out of trouble.

“When I was in school, I didn’t play any school sports,” Edwards said. “I actually just did jiu-jitsu. My mom wanted to get me in jiu-jitsu because I was getting into too much trouble in school because I was getting into fights. She wanted to get me into something that I could channel my energy in a positive way.

“I was very reclusive and just didn’t get along with people. I think that a part of that was because I wanted to do something, like have a hobby outside of school, and couldn’t find anything. And then my mom, whenever I got suspended from school for like the 100th time, my mom was like, ‘OK, Christian, this is getting old. We’ve got to find you something to do.'”

Fortunately for Edwards, his mom did her homework and found a local gym run by longtime Team Quest member Zac George, and the MMA fan began his own path in the sport. Jiu-jitsu became a passion, and that led to striking training, as well. Then came an amateur career that saw him go 3-0 with three stoppages.

At his most recent fight, in April 2018, Mata Leon Management President Richard Guerrero had a scout on hand, and Edwards received a call shortly after the contest. The 20-year-old fighter admits he was a little skeptical, but the offer on the other line was incredible: What would you think about training at Jackson Wink MMA? And if you like it, how long do you want to go?

“I jokingly said, ‘Permanently,'” Edwards remembered. “He was just like, ‘OK, done.'”

Edwards was granted the first Jackson Wink/Mata Leon scholarship, and he now lives at the famed facility and trains full-time.

“Christian is the first recipient of the Jackson Wink/Mata Leon Scholarship, and he has a great combination of talent, intelligence and maturity that can take him very far,” coach Mike Winkeljohn stated. “He’s an asset to the gym, and from day one, he’s mixed in with our top guys, including Jon Jones, Bevon Lewis and Diego Sanchez.”

The effort is already paying dividends, with Edwards recently signing an exclusive multi-fight deal with Bellator, where he’s expected to make his professional debut later this year. Edwards (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) said he’s thrilled with the opportunities he’s been given.

“Honestly, it’s kind of mind-blowing,” Edwards said. “I’ve been watching Bellator since I was like 14, and I’ve always thought what it would be like to fight for Bellator, but now that I’m actually doing it, it’s just a little surreal, but I’m just trying to make sure I show up ready and that I make a name for myself in this sport.”

For more on Bellator’s upcoming schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.