The #4 in UFC Welterweight rankings, Leon Edwards, has been in the news for quite some time. Not only for his brilliant performances in the octagon, but his altercation with Jorge Masvidal got him some major media headlines as well. Edwards has been outspoken regarding his future in UFC, he either wants a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship or a fight with Masvidal in the near future.
The British mixed martial artist, Leon Edwards, made his way into UFC in 2014. Prior to that, ‘Rocky’ put up an impressive showing in the UK-based promotion, Fight UK MMA. Following that stint, he signed with BAMMA where he enjoyed an undefeated 5-0 streak. He went on to win the BAMMA Welterweight Championship and defended the title successfully on one occasion.
Upon his debut at UFC Fight Night 56, Claudio Silva defeated Edwards via split decision at the end of the 3rd round. He had another loss at the hands of Kamaru Usman at UFC on Fox 17 but since then, he has the record of winning back-to-back 8 matches. According to Edwards, his performance and position in the UFC rankings should’ve provided him with a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship. Since the promotion’s president, Dana White, gave the title shot to Colby Covington, Edwards has been demanding a fight with Jorge Masvidal.
In case you are not aware, Masvidal and Edwards were involved in a backstage scuffle following the UFC Fight Night 147 in London, England. The event featured Masvidal in the main event fight with Darren Till while Leon Edwards and Gunnar Nelson were booked for the co-main event clash. In a backstage interview with ESPN after the show, Masvidal was confronted by Edwards and the two ended up landing punches on each other. The scuffle resulted in Edwards receiving cuts on his cheeks that required medical treatment.
ESPN had the entire incident on record, which portrayed the ‘Gamebred’ hitting the first shot. Jorge Masvidal clarified his actions by blaming ‘Rocky’s post-fight attitude and certain comments that he had made on Masvidal on social media.
Recently, Edwards made it back to UFC news for his remarks. While discussing his future prospects in an interview, Edwards called out Masvidal and threatened to decimate and humiliate him. Both of them belong to UFC’s welterweight division and with none of them getting the title shot, Edwards is of the belief that they can square off against each other and settle the scores for once and for all.
On the other hand, Masvidal has made it known that he desires to focus on winning the UFC Welterweight Championship, instead of wasting time on Edwards. Moreover, he’s scheduled to headline UFC 244 against Nate Diaz. According to the ‘Gamebred’, he possesses the potential to make an example out of Edwards if they ever collide in the octagon.
To Edwards, this is nothing but an excuse and he pointed out how every UFC fan wants to see these top-tier athletes fight each other. Nonetheless, with not so much of an initiative from Jorge Masvidal, it is unlikely that Edwards will get his desired match and only time will tell what’s waiting for the ‘Rocky’.
