"He said he'd rather fight Nate Diaz" - Leon Edwards claims Jorge Masvidal turned down offer to fight him

UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards has claimed that fellow welterweight Jorge Masvidal turned down the offer of a potential fight against him in favor of the "BMF" rematch against Nate Diaz.

Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal were being linked to a potential fight ever since the pair indulged in a back-stage altercation at UFC London in March 2019 which got a bit physical after Masvidal punched Edwards in the face. Cut to 2020, Leon Edwards is now in dire need of a fight against a top-five opponent and with Masvidal coming short in his title fight against reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, a fight between Edwards and Masvidal makes a lot of sense. However, according to Leon Edwards, even though the UFC matchmakers tried to bring the fight to fruition, Jorge Masvidal rejected the idea.

Speaking to MMAFighting.com’s Damon Martin, Edwards revealed that the UFC offered him a fight with Masvidal but the latter turned it down in favor of a rematch against the controversial superstar Diaz.

“I want the fight. The UFC wanted the fight. They offered it to him and he turned it down. He said he’d rather fight Nate Diaz. I don’t understand it. He claims he wants to get back to the title shot and fight for a world championship. I don’t understand what fighting a person like Nate Diaz will get you? I don’t know where his head’s at. I don’t know what the f**k he’s doing but I’m here, I’m ready. I’m willing to go.”

The last time Leon Edwards stepped inside the cage was back in July 2019 when he defeated former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos by a lopsided unanimous decision. Edwards is currently on a terrific eight-fight win streak and is among the top-five ranked welterweights in the UFC.