Will Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal finally get to settle their longstanding rivalry
Leon Edwards has set his sights on exacting revenge over fellow welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal, terming the potential pairing as “the only fight that makes sense” unless he’s given a title shot up next which seems highly unlikely as Gilbert Burns is next in line to challenge Kamaru Usman for the title.
Leon Edwards, who was at the receiving end of Masvidal's infamous "three-piece and a soda" assault during the latter's post-fight interview at UFC London, has now challened Masvidal to a fight.
“Let’s make it happen, it’s the only fight that makes sense for me outside the championship,” he wrote.
Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal have plenty of history between themselves, having been involved in a backstage brawl last year at a UFC media event in London. However, this fight isn't a lucrative prospect for the UFC just because of the bad blood between the pair but also the fact that these two men are ranked in the welterweight top-5, so the winner of the fight could potentially go on to challenge for the 170lbs title.
In another recent interview with the South China Morning Post, Leon Edwards predicted that he’d KO Masvidal if they ever locked horns inside the cage.
“I truly believe I’ll stop him,” Edwards said. “He’s nothing special. I knew that before he got beat by Usman. He fought Ben [Askren], Ben was s***. Nate Diaz is a journeyman. He beat Darren Till. That’s the only good win he’s had, Darren Till. Everyone else [he’s beaten] are average fighters, and he’s got this mad hype around him. I truly believe I would smoke him.”
Leon Edwards has not fought since July 2019, when he notched his eight straight win over former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Masvidal, on the other hand is coming off of a disappointing loss against Kamaru Usman in a title fight that headlined the recently concluded UFC 251 pay-per-view event held at the Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.