Four years removed from their hectic backstage altercation at UFC Fight Night London back in 2019, undisputed welterweight champion, Leon Edwards remains a strong betting favorite to defeat two-time title challenger, Jorge Masvidal, ahead of a long-awaited grudge match between the duo.
Edwards, the current undisputed welterweight champion, is slated to return to the Octagon next weekend at The O2 Arena – meeting with common-foe, Kamaru Usman in a title trilogy rubber match against the Auchi native atop a UFC 286 pay-per-view card.
As for Masvidal, the Miami native is slated to co-headline UFC 287 in the ‘Sunshine State’ next month beneath a middleweight title rematch between Alex Pereira, and Israel Adesanya – taking on one-time title chaser, Gilbert Burns at the Miami-Dade Center.
First locking horns, albeit in an unsanctioned setting back in March 2019, Masvidal opened a laceration on the face of Birmingham favorite, Edwards during a post-fight interview – after the latter had offered to fight him later that year.
Yet to share the Octagon in a bid to settle their rivalry since, Edwards and Masvidal were slated to fight at UFC 269 back in December 2021, however, the bout was shelved due to an undisclosed injury suffered by the latter.
Expressing his willingness to fight Masvidal in the future in a potential title defense, Edwards currently sits as an impressive -305 betting favorite to defeat the American Top Team staple, who would open as a +255 underdog. If you’re willing to part with some cash on a potential showdown, mrbet can help offer odds and opening lines for a slew of markets and sports.
“I don’t like him (Jorge Masvidal) that much, but I’m rooting for him to win so I can fight him,” Leon Edwards said. “He just keeps losing so it’s hard to make the fight make sense. I even said if he went out there and fought in like December, January – (fight) Gilbert (Burns) or somebody, beat one of them, then I’ll fight you in March.”
“Then (Kamaru) Usman in the summer or something, let him rest his hands a bit I’ll fight you in March, but he didn’t even do that,” Leon Edwards explained. “We’ll see. Skillset-wise, it’s two different levels. His career is doing that, mine’s doing this. It’s hard to make the fight make sense right now. But that’s a fight I need to happen and want to happen.”
Himself clinching the undisputed welterweight title back in August of last year in Salt Lake City in a stunning, Comeback of the Year shoo-in – Edwards landed a stunning fifth round, high kick iknockout over former champion, Usman, in the pair’s title rematch.
Avenging a 2015 decision loss to the Nigerian, Edwards was down on all three judges scorecards ahead of his final round with Usman – before capturing the welterweight crown with his spectacular KO victory.
As for Masvidal, the Floridian, who has twice dropped title challenge losses to Usman, dropped a grudge match against former friend and past teammate, Colby Covington back in March of last year at UFC 272 – in a headliner which earned both Fight of the Night honors.