Nate Diaz reveals who he thinks should fight Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title
Nate Diaz believes Leon Edwards should fight Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title.
At UFC 263, Diaz and Edwards fought in the first non-title five-round undercard fight in UFC history. The fight was a fairly competitive affair that Nate Diaz lost via unanimous decision.
When asked by The Schmo whether Leon Edwards deserves to fight for the title next during the UFC 263 post-fight press conference, Nate Diaz drew attention to the fact that he and Edwards competed in a five-round undercard fight.
While stating that he would have demanded the title shot if he won the fight, Nate Diaz suggested that five-round fights between top contenders are put together to determine the title challenger. As such, Leon Edwards should get the next crack at the welterweight title currently held by Kamaru Usman.
"Yeah, if I had won this one, I'd fight for the title. What are the five-round fights? What the f**k was that for?" Nate Diaz said.
Kamaru Usman does not agree with Nate Diaz's opinion about Leon Edwards
One of the most curious observers of the five-round fight between Nate Diaz and Leon Edwards was UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Usman handed Edwards his last professional MMA loss in 2015. The latter has since won nine fights in a row and currently occupies the No.3 spot in the UFC welterweight rankings.
As reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Leon Edwards failed to impress Kamaru Usman with his performance. The champ had the following to say about his win:
"That don't help you. I guess no one deserves it."
Predictably, Leon Edwards does not agree with Kamaru Usman's remarks.
While speaking to journalists at the UFC 263 post-fight press conference, Leon Edwards stated that he had worked his way up since losing to the champ in 2015 and deserves a title shot more than any other fighter in the division.
“I think I should be the next for the title shot. That's nine in a row, ten in a row. There's no one else that's doing what I'm doing. I've offered to fight everybody. Khamzat, Diaz, Belal... These guys are not in top ten. I'm saying yes when everyone is like b***hing and sitting out and complaining," Leon Edwards said.
Although UFC president Dana White has reiterated that No.1 ranked Colby Covington is next in line for the welterweight title, Kamaru Usman recently stated that he would be willing to fight a streaking contender irrespective of the rankings.
Since losing to Usman at UFC 245, Colby Covington has competed only once in the UFC and defeated former champion Tyron Woodley in September 2020.
Who do you think should fight for the UFC welterweight title next? Leon Edwards, Colby Covington, or someone new? Let us know in the comments!