Leon Edwards claims he's ready to fight Jorge Masvidal at UFC 268 but 'Gamebred' isn't willing to accept the challenge
Leon Edwards is open to fighting Jorge Masvidal at UFC 268. However, he believes his arch-rival isn't interested in accepting the challenge.
UFC 268 is set to take place on November 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The event will be headlined by a blockbuster rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington.
In a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Edwards said that if the UFC offers him a fight opposite Masvidal on the November 6 card, he'll gladly sign on the dotted line.
The 30-year-old Englishman suggested that a fight with Masvidal next year wouldn't work. If that happened, 'Rocky' believes he'd most likely be snubbed of another title shot. That's because the UFC will likely line up a new welterweight championship bout for March, a date that he wouldn't be ready for if he fought Masvidal in 2022.
"Yeah, for sure. November, December. I'll be on (to fight against Jorge Masvidal). Apart from title shot, there's no other fight than Jorge. Everyone knows this. I'm not scared of him. I've asked three years in a row to fight this guy and he turned down every single time," said Edwards.
Edwards also thinks if Masvidal had any intention of fighting him, he would have accepted his callout a while ago. He said he knows the 'BMF' isn't scared, but can't figure out why he keeps on refusing to fight him.
"I don't think he's scared. I don't think what it is. I don't know. I can't answer what's the reason why he keeps turning me down."
Masvidal is coming off two back-to-back title losses against Kamaru Usman. He has said he wants his next opponent to be someone who'll get him closer to the title.
Watch Leon Edwards talk about fighting Jorge Masvidal during The MMA Hour below (from 1:55:45)
Leon Edwards dismisses Gilbert Burns as his next opponent
Leon Edwards is convinced that he has no business fighting Gilbert Burns. Although the Brazilian is ranked one place above him in the divisional rankings, 'Rocky' told Ariel Helwani that Jorge Masvidal is the only name currently on his radar. However, Edwards made it clear that the UFC will have to reward him with a big payday if they want that bout to come to fruition.
The last time Leon Edwards stepped into the octagon was at UFC 263, where he fought Nate Diaz. He earned a unanimous decision win, with all three judges scoring the contest 49-46 in his favor.
#UFC263 Official Scorecard: Leon Edwards Vs Nate Diaz
See every judges scorecard from #UFC263 here ➡️: ufc.com/news/ufc-263-a… https://t.co/sJMU8WpN3U