"If Leon beats Masvidal, it's gotta be a title fight" - Michael Bisping discusses Leon Edwards vs. Jorge Masvidal at UFC 269
Michael Bisping believes Leon Edwards will finally fight for the welterweight title next if he beats Jorge Masvidal at UFC 269 on December 11.
The No.3 170-pound contender is unbeaten in his last 10 UFC bouts. His last defeat came to current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in December 2015. Meanwhile, Masvidal is coming off back-to-back title fight losses to 'The Nigerian Nightmare'.
Speaking on his own YouTube channel, Michael Bisping claimed 'Rocky' is one victory away from a welterweight title shot. He also added that Kamaru Usman will likely have to defeat Colby Covington in their rematch at UFC 268 first.
"It's a very complicated web that has been weaved by the UFC. If Leon beats Masvidal, it's gotta be a title fight... Of course, Masvidal is a massive star, Leon takes that star. But for that to happen, Usman has to beat Covington, which I think will happen."
Watch Michael Bisping give his thoughts on Leon Edwards vs. Jorge Masvidal below:
If Covington beats Usman to claim the belt next month, then the duo might be set for a trilogy. That would forcie Leon Edwards to wait even longer for a championship opportunity.
'The Nigerian Nightmare' won his first encounter against 'Chaos' at UFC 245 in December 2019.
Leon Edwards will hope to follow in Michael Bisping's footsteps
Michael Bisping is the greatest British fighter in the UFC without a doubt. 'The Count' beat Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 in June 2016 to claim the middleweight belt. He successfully defended it against Dan Henderson at UFC 204 as well.
Bisping eventually dropped the title to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 in November 2017. Only two other British stars have fought for a belt in the UFC, Dan Hardy and Darren Till.
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Hardy unsuccessfully challenged St-Pierre for the welterweight championship at UFC 111 in March 2010. That matchup made him the first person from the UK to earn a UFC title shot.
Meanwhile, Darren Till also fought for the welterweight belt when he took on Tyron Woodley. He suffered a loss via submission at UFC 228 in September 2018.
Leon Edwards, who holds a 19-3-1 record, could possibly become the fourth Brit to seal a title shot in the UFC. If he does, he'll hope to follow in the footsteps of Bisping by having UFC gold wrapped around his waist.