Yves Edwards was born on the island of New Providence, Bahamas and moved to Texas when he was 14 years old. Yves began training in traditional karate in his youth, moving on to Kung Fu before eventually taking up mixed martial arts. This also led him to Muay Thai in order to improve his stand-up. Like many aspiring martial artists, Yves cites the legendary Bruce Lee as a formative influence. He has been quoted as saying:
“I’ve always liked the old Hong Kong flicks, and I was a big comic book fan: you know the superheroes, they were always big in my mind. Anything that will make me physically better than the average person, and teach me to do things that the average person can’t do, I was game for it.”
Based in Houston since his teens, Edwards says he learned some grappling on a trip back home to the Bahamas at the age of 17, although “it wasn’t as technical as it Brazilian-jiujitsu, but it was my introduction to grappling.” He is a well-rounded fighter, with a strong boxing background, having also trained with Lewis Wood, a #6 WBA Featherweight boxer, and Kenny Weldon a trainer of multiple boxing world champions such as Sergei Liakhovich and Pernell “Sweet P” Whitaker, this is in addition to his experience in Muay Thai and Brazilian-jiujitsu.
Edwards made a name for himself in Texas and the southwest region of the United States in the late 90s and as his popularity rose be became regarded as an up and comer to keep an eye on in mixed martial arts via the internet. On October 2nd 1999 Edwards was fought his first fight for the small, but universally respected, promotion HooknShoot. He took on their Pancrase rules(Modified MMA rules 1-20min round all strikes to the head were open palm) champion Aaron Riley. Edwards won a hard fought decision and won his first significant world title. HooknShoot soon retired their Pancrase rules divisions and Edwards competed in their SHOOTO rules(Modern MMA rules sans elbow strikes) Welterweight division going 2-0-1 before earning a shot at that division’s title in July of 2001. A title which was also held by Aaron Riley. The two young warriors went to war again showing the improvements they both made over the 21 months since they last faced each other but in the end Edwards again had his hand raised and a new world title in his possession.
