"I knew this fraud didn't want to fight me" - Leon Edwards reacts to news that Jorge Masvidal is out of their bout at UFC 269
Leon Edwards took a jab at rival Jorge Masvidal after ‘Gamebred’ pulled out of their welterweight bout. Edwards referred to Masvidal as a “fraud” and suggested the BMF champion never wanted to fight him.
The highly anticipated grudge match between Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal was scheduled for UFC 269 on December 11th. However, earlier today, it was revealed that Masvidal had to step aside from their matchup due to an injury.
Taking to his official Twitter account, Leon Edwards posted a tweet addressing Jorge Masvidal’s withdrawal from their UFC 269 fight. Edwards’ tweet read as follows:
“Disappointed but honestly I knew this fraud didn't want to fight me anyway. He was just a stop off on the way to the title. The goal remains the same. Much needed family time now, @usman84kg i will see you soon.”
As indicated in the tweet above, Leon Edwards is lobbying for a rematch against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Edwards’ last loss came via unanimous decision to Usman at UFC on FOX: Dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2 in December 2015.
Since losing to ‘The Nigerian Nightmare,’ Leon Edwards has competed in 10 more UFC fights, winning 9 of them. The lone non-win was ruled a no contest via eye-poke vs. Belal Muhammad earlier this year.
It's unclear if the UFC plans to keep Leon Edwards on the UFC 269 card or rebook him at a different event against Jorge Masvidal or another opponent.
The much-discussed Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev matchup could finally materialize at UFC 269
Leon Edwards has been called out by multiple UFC welterweights including Belal Muhammad and Khamzat Chimaev. While Edwards and Muhammad have engaged in a verbal spat since their first fight, ‘Rocky’ is seemingly uninterested in a Muhammad rematch.
That stated, a clash between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev might happen. The fight was booked and canceled three times from late-2020 to early-2021, primarily due to Chimaev’s COVID-19 battle.
Many believe the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev is one win from a title shot. A victory over a top-five welterweight like Edwards would definitely catapult ‘The Chechen Wolf’ into an Usman showdown. Chimaev is willing to face ‘Rocky’ at UFC 269. As of this writing, Edwards is yet to respond to him.