“I’ll wait for my title shot. I worked hard to get here and that’s just more time to plan.”
Leon Edwards has done a complete 180 degree turn on Jorge Masvidal, telling BT Sport’s’ John Gooden that he is no longer interested in that matchup because ‘Gamebred’ is yesterday’s news.
Masvidal is looking to return to the octagon against a top-five opponent following his knockout loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 261 but Edwards, who recently beat Nate Diaz at UFC 263, isn’t willing to play ball, telling the ‘BMF’ champ that he missed his opportunity following their backstage altercation in London back in 2019.
Edwards is currently on a nine-fight win streak and is willing to wait for a title shot against the winner of the upcoming title rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington.
“I know they’re talking about Masvidal but I’ve been asking to fight Masvidal f*cking two or three years ago,” Edwards said (h/t MMA Fighting). “Like, running him down but he kept turning me down and saying ‘Nah, I don’t want to fight,’ even though the UFC wanted it. Now I feel he’s just been chinned for the world title, I don’t feel I need to do that now. I’ll wait for my title shot. I worked hard to get here and that’s just more time to plan.”
The two also got into a bit of a spat on social media following Masvidal’s comments about Edwards not being a real fighter.
That boy awake the last time he said that he got put to sleep ??? https://t.co/TkBcTm29p4
— Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) June 17, 2021
Say it to my face #3pcanda
— Jorge Masvidal UFC (@GamebredFighter) June 18, 2021
Although this fight does [kind of] makes sense given their long-standing rivalry, Edwards has done more than enough to sit out and wait for the next title shot. Masvidal had his opportunity in 2019, but turned the fight down for undisclosed reasons.