Leon Edwards: "I’ll be fighting for the welterweight title next"
The welterweight division has seen a surge in the number of contenders lining up to face the current champion, Kamaru Usman. Today it was Leon Edwards who reinforced his name in the mix by calling out Usman and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, for a title shot.
Leon Edwards started his UFC career back in 2014 with a record of 8-1. For these 6 years, he has managed to build a record of 18-3 which includes wins over the likes of Donald Cerrone, Gunnar Nelson, and former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos. Edwards was scheduled for the biggest fight of his life earlier this year when he was set to lock horns against former champion, Tyron Woodley.
However, since the Coronavirus struck the fight was canceled. It was first reported that Woodley won't be able to fight but later it was revealed that the entire fight card was canceled. In an emotional statement post-cancellation, Edwards had written, "I have been dreaming of headlining a UFC show in my home country since I started this sport. This cancellation is truly heartbreaking. I have never worked harder and never been more prepared for the biggest moment in my career. But I know that the whole world is hurting right now and this is bigger than me, this is bigger than sports. All I can hope for is that all of you stay safe and look after each other as we get past this and move forward." That didn't mean he had forgotten about his fight against Woodley. Leon Edwards later even tweeted, "Tell that boy he can’t run from me his ass whooping is just delayed"
However, in the chaos that the division currently has fallen into his name over the past few months was cropped out from the title picture. First it was suggested that Masvidal might come back and claim a title shot. However, when that possibility was ruled out Usman's manager tweeted that they might look for a match against Conor McGregor.
This generated a strong buzz in the media and prompted multiple headlines. This was when Leon Edwards hit back and reminded people he was still in the game. He tweeted,
"I’ll be fighting for the world title next"
Leon Edwards has faced Usman once in the past, back in 2015. The duo clashed on the undercard of UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2, where Usman walked out with the unanimous decision. Since then Edwards has amassed an 8 fight winning streak and has earned a reputation as a contender.
Usman too hasn't faced defeat since that fight and in his last fight defended his title for the first time by defeating Colby Covington. Leon Edwards hasn't been booked for any fight yet and neither has Usman. It wouldn't be surprising if the duo lock horns in an upcoming event.