Leon Edwards says a fight with Jorge Masvidal needs to happen in the future.
Leon Edwards seems to have his next bout right in front of him when he takes on Kamaru Usman in March. Although there were some questions regarding that matchup and the health of Usman, it seems that all systems are a go for that trilogy fight to happen at UFC 286 in London, England. The uncertainly surrounding Usman and an injury to his hand was the only thing holding up this rematch, and if that were to be the case it seems that Edwards was trying to plot a different matchup to take its place.
Edwards explains that he sent out a scenario for Jorge Masvidal to jump into this title shot in London, but he did not hold up his end of the bargain.
Leon Edwards does not see a fight with Jorge Masvidal making sense right now
Edwards and Masvidal have a history of bad blood between them. Masvidal has been chirping for a title shot ever since Edwards won the belt, the only problem is that he has not won a fight since Nov. 2019. Edwards said he gave Masvidal a chance to earn that title shot with a bit of an ultimatum, but he did not take it.
“I don’t like him that much that I’m rooting for him to win so I can fight him, but he just keeps losing,” he said to Michael Bisping on YouTube. “It’s hard to make a fight make sense. I even said to him if you went out there and fought in say December or January like Gilbert or somebody, beat one of them then I’ll fight you in March and then catch Usman in the summer or something, you know what I mean, let him rest his hands a bit and I’ll fight you in March but he didn’t even do that.”
Edwards and Masvidal were supposed to fight in Dec. of 2021, but an injury to Masvidal forced him out, and instead, Edwards went on to fight for the title. In 2019 these two men got into an altercation backstage at an event headlined by Masvidal in London. They have had it out for each other ever since. Edwards plans to face this foe eventually.
“Skillset wise we are on two different levels. His career is doing this (hand movements down) mine is doing this (hand movements up),” he said. “It’s hard to make the fight make sense right now but that’s a fight I need to happen, I want to happen.”
Masvidal is not the only man looking to take down the new champion. He has been called out by several members to the division, but will first need to put the trilogy with Usman to rest. He believes that this fight will go his way and having the hometown advantage is sure to help.
