Leon Edwards seeks revenge against Jorge Masvidal
After over two years of waiting, Leon Edwards is finally getting his chance at revenge against Jorge Masvidal. The two welterweight stars had a much-publicized altercation at the UFC London event in 2019, where Masvidal punched Edwards backstage, leaving him bloodied and cut under the eye.
Fans have been clamoring for a matchup between the two ever since, but the UFC surprisingly never attempted to capitalize on the easy matchup. That is, until December 2021, when the pair was scheduled to fight at UFC 269. However, the match fell apart when Masvidal sustained a rib injury.
The incident ultimately led Edwards to where he should have been all along – a UFC title shot against Kamaru Usman. Edwards shocked the world by defeating Usman with a comeback Hail Mary head kick knockout, becoming the champion. Meanwhile, Masvidal has lost his last three fights.
Despite Masvidal’s recent struggles, Edwards is still eager for the matchup to happen. “I don’t like him that much, but I’m rooting for him to win so I can fight him,” Edwards said in an interview. “He just keeps losing so it’s hard to make the fight make sense.”
The rematch may not happen at this point, as Edwards is currently focused on his upcoming trilogy fight against Usman at UFC 286 in London on March 18. In their previous encounter, Edwards started strong, scoring a big takedown midway through the opening round and controlling the then-champion until the break. However, Edwards’ stamina faltered in the later rounds, allowing Usman to take over and ultimately win the fight.
Now that Usman has felt the full extent of Edwards’ capabilities in the form of a stunning knockout, the champion expects an even heavier wrestling approach from Usman in their rematch. “I can’t see how now he’s going to be a totally different fighter. He might come out and keep proper, not slipping as big. But when you get tired as the rounds go on, you go back into habits. He’ll probably wrestle me more,” Edwards said.
While the Edwards vs. Masvidal matchup remains uncertain, one thing is for sure – Edwards has his eyes set on avenging his loss to Usman and solidifying his place as the top welterweight in the UFC.
