Leon Edwards has vowed to make the first defence of his title against Jorge Masvidal if he can get past Kamaru Usman at UFC 278.
Edwards, 30, rematches UFC welterweight champion Usman in the main event of UFC 278 on Saturday night. Their second fight has been in the making for almost seven years, with Usman outpointing the Brit when the pair where both in the early stages of their UFC careers. Usman has won 13 consecutive fights since that meeting whilst Edwards is unbeaten in his last 10 fights.
Masvidal has a longstanding rivalry with Edwards, as the pair infamously clashed backstage at UFC London in 2019 after their respective fights. The altercation left Edwards with a cut under his eye and he has been expected to settle his feud with Masvidal in the octagon ever since. A fight between the rivals was booked for last December, but Masvidal withdrew due to injury.
Who wins at UFC 278 - Kamaru Usman or Leon Edwards? Let us know your prediction in the comments section below
Edwards has now welcomed the fight if gets past Usman, stating: “That guy is a bum, I didn’t see his call out but he’s a bum anyway. He’s just looking for another title shot, but I’ll grant him his wish after this fight. I want it in the UK, I’ll give the bum the opportunity to come fight for the title just to show everyone how s*** he is.”
Masvidal has lost his last three UFC fights, being outpointed and knocked out by Usman before his loss to former teammate turned bitter rival Colby Covington in March. It's a stark contrast to the form Masvidal showed in the octagon three years ago, when he rose to superstardom by knocking out Darren Till and Ben Askren before his 'BMF' title win against Nate Diaz.
'Gamebred' doesn't think Edwards will get past Usman this Saturday and has welcomed a rescheduled clash against the Brit. "I don’t [see Edwards winning] to tell you the truth. It’s a fight, anything can happen. There’s no 1,000 percent winning for anybody in this sport. I don’t care if you’re undefeated. It’s just a matter of time. I think Usman wins more times than Leon wins if they were to fight five times," he told MMA Fighting.
“I think Usman is a little more complete and at the end of the day, it will come down to the wrestling. On the feet, Leon’s a little bit more polished, maybe a little bit more variety with setups or attacks, but Usman’s wrestling, I think he’ll keep Leon honest to where he won’t open up as he would with a lot of guys. I see Usman winning."
