UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards wants Jorge Masvidal, but knows it doesn’t make sense.
Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) dethroned No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Kamaru Usman to capture the welterweight title at UFC 278 and is expecting a trilogy bout to be next at a stadium show in the United Kingdom.
But if there’s one fight he really wants, it’s Masvidal (35-16 MMA, 12-9 UFC), who sucker punched him backstage during a UFC event in London in 2019. Edwards would like some revenge, but with “Gamebred” currently on a three-fight losing skid, he knows it’ll be a tough sell for the UFC.
“Masvidal is the one I definitely want to have, but because he keeps losing it’s difficult to make it make sense for the company, you know, even for the fans, to sell it,” Edwards said in an interview with Sky Sports. “I know it’ll probably sell as far as the back story of it.
“If Masvidal goes out and gets a big win, then that’s a fight that I want. I even said it: I’ll give him the (title shot) before that and my coach was like, ‘Nah, he doesn’t deserve it.’ But I was acting out of emotions. So whoever comes, No. 1 contenders or money fights, for me, it doesn’t matter. I believe that I am the best.”
Masvidal’s manager, Malki Kawa, disagrees. With the bad blood between both men and Masvidal being a proven draw, he naturally sees the matchup making perfect sense.
“It’s not difficult. The fans would love to see you get your revenge.”
It’s not difficult. The fans would love to see you get your revenge. https://t.co/tbvpLQlnI9
— malki kawa (@malkikawa) October 13, 2022
Edwards almost got his wish when he was booked in a grudge match against Masvidal at UFC 269, but Masvidal was forced out due to injury. Edwards may have initially considered giving Masvidal a title shot, but his coach Dave Lovell relished the opportunity to say that Masvidal needs to wait at the back of the line.
