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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was forced to bench Gilbert Burns after the Brazilian, who’s currently ranked No. 1 in the 170-pound division, tested positive for coronavirus and got pulled from his Kamaru Usman title fight in the UFC 251 pay-per-view (PPV) main event this Sat. night (July 11) in Abu Dhabi.
Taking his place on super-short notice is No. 3-ranked contender Jorge Masvidal, so it would make sense to have Burns — assuming he’s made a full recovery — fight the winner of Usman-Masvidal at some point later this year. But it appears No. 4-ranked Leon Edwards is ready to sneak in for the steal.
Edwards (18-3) is riding a torrid eight-fight win streak, racking up victories over the likes of Rafael dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone along the way. One thing “Rocky” doesn’t have, however, is a marquee win over a Top 5 welterweight whereas Burns is fresh off his five-round drubbing of former champion Tyron Woodley.
UFC matchmakers certainly have their work cut out for them…