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“I’m going to get my hands on him. Cage or no cage, me getting my hands on him is the main goal.”
Leon Edwards has unsettled business with Jorge Masvidal.
Last year, after winning their respective bouts at UFC Fight Night 147, both men got into a backstage scuffle at London’s O2 Arena. Masvidal blasted Edwards with a three-punch combination three-piece and a soda after being interrupted by ‘Rocky’ at a post-fight interview, and Edwards has had it in for ‘Gamebred’ ever since.
Although both men have gone their separate ways since that incident, with Edwards beating Rafael dos Anjos and Masvidal earning stoppage victories over Ben Askren and Nate Diaz, Edwards believes they are destined to cross paths again — ‘cage or no cage’.
“I’m going to get my hands on him,” Edwards told MMA Junkie in a recent interview (h/t Abhinav Kini of The Body Lock MMA). “Cage or no cage, me getting my hands on him is the main goal. Let’s say they fight for the title, Usman and Masvidal, Usman beats Masvidal, I wouldn’t want to fight Masvidal [next]. Or vice-versa, he beats Usman, I’ll fight for the world title. Or I beat Usman, he fights me for the world title so either way, this year we’re going to fight. That’s the big fight.”
Edwards is also very much interested in a rematch with Kamaru Usman, as Usman is the only fighter to beat Edwards in the last four years.
“Both fights got a story behind it,” Edwards added. “Usman, last guy to beat me. Masvidal whacked me in London. They both got a great selling point for a big fight, a big pay-per-view. Either way, each fight is big money.”
As of right now, however, Edwards has his hands full with former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. The Brit is hoping to fight the very best version of ‘T-Wood’ when they meet at UFC Fight Night 171.
“I’m prepping for the one that beat Robbie Lawler,” Edwards said. “I want that Tyron. I want the best version of himself. I feel I’m number one so I believe I’ll beat him even on his best day. That’s the one I’m prepping for and that’s the one I’m aiming for.”
UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Edwards takes place next month, March 21 at the O2 Arena in London, England.