Leon Edwards has issued a scathing callout of his fellow UFC welterweight contender and arch nemesis Jorge Masvidal.
Edwards was previously slated to take on Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card on January 20. Unfortunately, news broke this morning that Chimaev has been forced out of the fight.
While some fans were surely hoping the UFC would attempt to reschedule this Edwards vs. Chimaev fight for a later date, Edwards himself says he’s eager to fight a replacement opponent on January 20—and he has a name in mind.
On Tuesday, not long after clarifying that he intends on staying on the January 20 card, Edwards set his sights on Masvidal.
Where that bitch Jorge at?
— Leon 'Rocky' Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) December 29, 2020
“Where that b*tch Jorge at?” Edwards wrote.
Edwards and Masvidal hold the No. 3 and 4 spots in the UFC welterweight rankings respectively. While the matchup makes tons of sense from a rankings perspective, however, that’s hardly the most appealing thing about it.
In 2019, both Edwards and Masvidal picked up big wins at an event in England, defeating Gunnar Nelson and Darren Till respectively.
Post-fight, the pair were involved in a backstage brawl, and Edwards has been eager for his vengeance ever since.
“I prefer [the Masvidal] fight over Gilbert [Burns],” Edwards told SCMP MMA in July. “[UFC welterweight champ [Usman] said he wants to have a little time out with his daughter, his children, and chill for a bit. If they come to me and say ‘Gilbert or Masvidal,’ I’d prefer Masvidal for what happened in London, backstage. We’ve got a genuine beef between us. That would be a bigger fight, a more entertaining fight,” Edwards said.
“(The beef) will never go away until I get my hands on him,” Edwards added. “Even after, it wouldn’t go away.
“I truly believe I’ll stop him,” Edwards concluded. “He’s nothing special. I knew that before he got beat by Usman. He fought Ben (Askren), Ben was s***. Nate Diaz is a journeyman. He beat Darren Till. That’s the only good win he’s had, Darren Till. Everyone else [he’s beaten] are average fighters, and he’s got this mad hype around him. I truly believe I would smoke him.”
Do you want to see a short-notice fight between Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards?