Tag: leon edwards

Edwards: No Replacement Fighter Would Have Made Sense For UFC 269

UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards doesn’t believe there’s a single name that would have made sense as a replacement fighter for him to face at UFC 269.

After being denied a title shot that many believe he’s done more than enough to deserve, E…

Leon Edwards

UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards doesn’t believe there’s a single name that would have made sense as a replacement fighter for him to face at UFC 269.

After being denied a title shot that many believe he’s done more than enough to deserve, Edwards accepted a clash with arch-rival Jorge Masvidal. The foes, whose feud began with an altercation backstage at a UFC London event in 2019, were set to collide at the final pay-per-view of the year on December 11.

With just a month before the event, “Gamebred” withdrew due to an injury. With few details revealed about the extent of the problem, “Rocky” doubted the legitimacy of Masvidal’s reason for pulling out, and suggested he always expected the Miami native to “run.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWTpMkOpKC2/

After news of the cancelation broke, attention immediately turned to whether or not the UFC would look to keep the Englishman on the card and pursue a replacement opponent. Edwards’ fellow top-five contender Gilbert Burns and the surging Khamzat Chimaev appeared to be leading the charge.

After announcing his intention to target a title fight next, and the UFC’s confirmation of the UFC 269 main card during this past weekend’s UFC Vegas 42 broadcast, the event will seemingly go on without the presence of Edwards. During a recent interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, the Jamaican-born Brit explained why he turned down the chance to remain on the card. In his mind, no replacement option made sense.

“They didn’t force me. They asked me, ‘Would you stay on the card?’ Obviously, if the fight makes sense I would, you know. But there’s no one else that makes sense. I’m the only guy that’s doing what I’m doing. Everyone else, they’re winning one, they’re losing one. There’s no one else.

“The only reason I was making a stop off (on the way to the title) was because of Jorge and the history that we had, you know, the background and how to build a fight and, you know, get me up in the morning to wanna work hard and wanna go and perform. There’s literally no one else… me and my manager went back, we had a look at the division. There was no one. There’s no one for me to fight. I could fight just to fight if I wanted to but what’s the point?”

Edwards Doesn’t Believe Chimaev has Earned A Fight With Him

The main name brought up as the desired replacement amongst fans and pundits was that of Khamzat Chimaev. After returning to the Octagon after more than a year away at UFC 267 last month, “Borz” shot straight into the welterweight top 10 with a first-round submission victory over Li Jingliang.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVq763JhT6B/

Given his emphatic return, and the fact Edwards and Chimaev had been booked to fight last December and earlier this year, many suggested the Chechen-born Swede should have been drafted in to replace Masvidal. With that not coming to fruition, Edwards told Okamoto why he isn’t fighting Chimaev on December 11.

Having earned his place at the top of the division, “Rocky” doesn’t understand why he’d risk his spot against someone he doesn’t believe has earned the matchup.

“I feel like I’ve paved my way. I’ve done what I need to do to earn my position. I don’t feel he’s (Chimaev) earned to fight the #3 guy in the world. The only reason I was gonna fight him before was because I was inactive for such a long time. I wanted to get active and I wanted to fight, you know. That was the only reason.

“I’ve been matched up, what, three times with him? And three times the fight fell out. So, I reckon down the road we’ll probably fight. Let him work his way up, let him do what he needs to do. I’m looking ahead and looking forward to the title shot.”

Having failed to squeeze a third fight into 2021, Edwards is now setting his sights on championship glory. The Englishman is hoping to fight Kamaru Usman, who defended his belt against Colby Covington at UFC 268, in early 2022.

Do you think Leon Edwards should fight for the title next?

Continue Reading Edwards: No Replacement Fighter Would Have Made Sense For UFC 269 at MMA News.

Leon Edwards Believes Future Fight With Khamzat Chimaev Is Inevitable: ‘We’ll Meet Down The Line’

Leon EdwardsSurging #3 ranked UFC welterweight contender, Leon Edwards believes it’s almost inevitable that he will stand opposite the #10 ranked, Khamzat Chimaev sometime in the future — particularly if his once scheduled foe continues to run roughshod through welterweight competition. Edwards, who was slated to make his third Octagon walk of this year at UFC […]

Leon Edwards

Surging #3 ranked UFC welterweight contender, Leon Edwards believes it’s almost inevitable that he will stand opposite the #10 ranked, Khamzat Chimaev sometime in the future — particularly if his once scheduled foe continues to run roughshod through welterweight competition.

Edwards, who was slated to make his third Octagon walk of this year at UFC 269 on December 11. coming — found himself opponent-less for the pay-per-view event, after scheduled-foe, arch-rival, and two-time title chaser, Jorge Masvidal was forced from the grudge match after he reportedly suffered an undisclosed injury.

The Team Renagade BJJ & MMA staple has been removed from the UFC 269 card entirely as a result, with an already scheduled welterweight matchup between Santiago Ponzinibbio and Geoff Neal now bumped up to the main card portion of the event. 

A slew of welterweight contenders had offered their services on short notice to the UFC in a bid to replace Masvidal and challenge Edwards in a likely title-eliminator — including the trio of former-foe, Belal Muhammad, one-time title challenger, Gilbert Burns, as well as the aforenoted, Chimaev, however, Edwards has announced plans to sit out and wait for a title shot against past opponent, Kamaru Usman instead. 

For Chimaev, the #10 ranked contender was paired with Edwards previously on three separate occasions, in a trio of scheduled main event bouts that failed to materialize on each occasion. And made his first Octagon walk in over 13 months at UFC 267 in October — stopping Li Jingliang with a brutally one-sided first round rear-naked choke in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Leon Edwards belives a future fight with Khamzat Chimaev is possible further down the line

Reacting to Chimaev’s victory against Jingliang, Edwards claimed that he knew the AllStars MMA staple would stop Jingliang in convincing fashion. And maintains he will likely meet the Chechen-born finisher in the future.

“I knew that was gonna happen,” Leon Edwards said of Chimaev’s win over Jingliang to ESPN MMA. “The UFC match him smart, you know — they know what they’re doing the way they match him, they match him smart. I knew he was gonna win — I knew he was gonna shoot for the takedown early. Yeah, like I said, fair play to him, he’s doing what he needs to do. Like I said, let him work his way up, and eventually, we’ll probably meet down the line.“

For Birmingham technician, Edwards, his most recent professional victory came in June at UFC 263 as he handed the veteran, Nate Diaz a unanimous decision loss in Glendale, Arizona — scoring his ninth victory in his last ten Octagon appearances. 

Leon Edwards Doubts He’ll Ever Fight ‘Journeyman’ Jorge Masvidal

Leon EdwardsLeon Edwards saw his unlucky run continue last week when Jorge Masvidal pulled out of their fight which was scheduled to take place on December 11 at UFC 269. ‘Rocky’ is currently riding a nine-fight winning run but is yet to secure what seems to be a long-overdue shot at Kamaru Usman. The Englishman has […]

Leon Edwards

Leon Edwards saw his unlucky run continue last week when Jorge Masvidal pulled out of their fight which was scheduled to take place on December 11 at UFC 269.

‘Rocky’ is currently riding a nine-fight winning run but is yet to secure what seems to be a long-overdue shot at Kamaru Usman. The Englishman has been plagued by bad luck that has seen him pick up just one win in the last two years.

Things seemed to be taking an upward turn when he secured a fight with MMA superstar Nate Diaz. Edwards dominated the fan favourite at UFC 263 earlier this year but was shook in the final frame by the always-game fighter from Stockton, California. The Englishman took home the decision but did not do enough to get his title shot and was instead booked to fight Masvidal in what appeared to be his final fight before Usman.

So, as you can imagine, Edwards was annoyed when ‘Gamebred’ withdrew from their fight. After venting his frustrations on social media, ‘Rocky’ sat down with Brett Okamoto and gave his honest opinion on Masvidal.

“I always felt that he was a fake, he’s a fraud,” Edwards said. “I knew this going into the fight that he’s a fake… He had like a good year, year and a half that he had the Till knockout, the Ben Askren knockout, and that kind of propelled him. But apart from that he’s nothing but a journeyman. Every time he fights, more than likely, he’s probably gonna lose. But yeah, my opinion hasn’t changed much, I knew what I knew and now the fans are getting to see it. Now it’s clear as day, you know, that he’s not who he pretends to be.”

Leon Edwards Rules Out Rebooking Jorge Masvidal Match-up

It is unclear what is next for Edwards but he is pretty sure he will not face Masvidal in the future. The 30-year-old believes they are on different trajectories and will never settle their beef inside the Octagon.

“I don’t believe so. I’m going up, he’s going that way [motions downwards]. You know, so, I can’t see when there’s gonna be a time where the fight makes sense,” Edwards said. “I’mma keep winning, I’m going on to world championships and competing at a higher level. He’s declining. It’s gonna be difficult know for us to get in a position where the fight makes sense but we’ll see.” (Transcribed by Sportskeeda)

Do you want to see the UFC rebook Leon Edwards vs. Jorge Masvidal?

Leon Edwards Can’t See Masvidal Fight Making Sense Ever Again

UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards doesn’t believe a matchup with arch-rival Jorge Masvidal will ever make sense for him again.

After years of bad blood and back-and-forth over social media and in interviews, Edwards and Masvidal were finally …

Jorge Masvidal, Leon Edwards

UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards doesn’t believe a matchup with arch-rival Jorge Masvidal will ever make sense for him again.

After years of bad blood and back-and-forth over social media and in interviews, Edwards and Masvidal were finally scheduled to clash before the end of 2021. The pair were set to feature on a stacked UFC 269 card, headland by a lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier.

Just over a month away from the final pay-per-view of the year, news broke that Masvidal had withdrawn from his booking with “Rocky” due to injury. Canceled bouts and postponements are nothing new in MMA, but this one certainly would have hurt fans more than most.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWHAHvBMlWd/

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, Edwards gave his reaction to “Gamebred” pulling out of their bout. When asked if he believes he’ll still eventually meet Masvidal inside the Octagon, the Englishman suggested there’s unlikely to be another logical opportunity for them to collide.

“I don’t believe (I’ll ever fight Masvidal now). I’m going up, he’s going that way [points down] you know, so, I can’t see when there’s going to be a time when the fight makes sense. I’m gonna keep winning, I’m going on to world championships and competing at a higher level. He’s declining. So, it’s gonna be difficult now for us to get into a position where the fight makes sense. But we’ll see.”

Despite that, Edwards admitted that if he becomes champion, there’s a chance he could favor a non-sensical matchup with Masvidal in order to settle their beef, which started backstage at a UFC Fight Night event in London, England. However, the Jamaican-born Brit sees little chance of that happening. In his mind, Masvidal will likely retire in 2022.

“It’s possible. Because like I say, that (London altercation) left a bad taste in my mouth, there’s bad blood there forever, you know, so it’s possible. We’ll see. I’m focusing on being a world champion, focusing on achieving my goal, you know. He’s doing what he’s doing. I feel he’ll probably retire as well. I reckon next year he’ll probably retire.”

Edwards Questions Legitimacy Of Masvidal’s Injury

While Masvidal ‘s withdrawal from UFC 269 has been put down to an injury sustained during his camp, fans, pundits, and even Edwards are none the wiser to the details and extent of the 37-year-old’s issue. In the same interaction with Okamoto, “Rocky” claimed Masvidal is a “fraud” and doubted the legitimacy of the Miami native’s injury.

“I haven’t heard nothing (about an injury). I haven’t heard nothing at all. I asked the UFC, because Hunter (Campbell) messaged Tim (Simpson) saying like, ‘What’s the injury.’ They said they can’t say. So, I haven’t heard nothing, even in the background there’s nothing been mentioned. Like I said, I believe he’s a fraud. He’s using whatever he’s trying to use to get out of fighting. He knows after he lose to me, where does he go? His stock has already fallen already. Another loss to me, again, he just keeps falling.”

With his aim of fitting three fights into 2021 falling through, Edwards will now turn his attention to the title shot he believes he’s done more than enough to deserve. Having seemingly turned down the chance to face a replacement fighter on December 11, “Rocky” is hoping to secure a meeting with Kamaru Usman early next year.

Do you think Leon Edwards should be the next challenger to Kamaru Usman’s welterweight reign?

Continue Reading Leon Edwards Can’t See Masvidal Fight Making Sense Ever Again at MMA News.

Khamzat Chimaev Opens As Betting Favorite Over Leon Edwards

Khamzat ChimaevKhamzat Chimaev is only four fights into his UFC career, but the undefeated prospect is already a firm -175 favorite with the oddsmakers who fancy him to emerge victorious from a potential bout with long-time welterweight contender, Leon Edwards, who’s priced at +150. This fight will have a lot of mixed opinions so make sure […]

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev is only four fights into his UFC career, but the undefeated prospect is already a firm -175 favorite with the oddsmakers who fancy him to emerge victorious from a potential bout with long-time welterweight contender, Leon Edwards, who’s priced at +150. This fight will have a lot of mixed opinions so make sure to check out all the UFC picks before UFC 269.

‘Rocky’ was supposed to be fighting Jorge Masvidal at UFC 269 on December 11. After picking up nine successive victories inside the Octagon, Edwards appears to be just one more win away from securing a long-overdue shot at the 170lb title currently held by Kamaru Usman.

On Wednesday, ESPN reporter Brett Okamoto revealed that Masvidal had been forced out of his fight with Edwards due to an undisclosed injury.

Several welterweight fighters including Gilbert Burns, Nick Diaz, and Belal Muhammad quickly offered to replace ‘Gamebred’, but it was Chimaev’s call out of Edwards that truly excited fight fans.

Edwards doesn’t appear to be interested in fighting Chimaev or any other replacement fighter at UFC 269. The Englishman will instead spend some time with his family and hope he’s already done enough to secure a fight with ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’.

“Disappointed but honestly I knew this fraud didn’t want to fight me anyway,” Edwards wrote on social media. “He was just a stop off on the way to the title. The goal remains the same. Much needed family time now. [Kamaru Usman], I will see you soon.”

The Rise Of Khamzat Chimaev

‘The Wolf’ is just a few fights into his UFC career but is already fancied to beat one of the best 170lb fighters on the planet.

Chimaev burst onto the scene in the summer of 2020 and made an instant impact when he fought twice in the space of 10 days.

The 27-year-old made his promotional debut at middleweight against Welsh slugger John Phillips. Chimaev was so dominant in his first UFC round that one judge scored it 10-7 in his favour. A round later he wrapped up his first Octagon win by way of D’arce choke.

A week and a half later, Chimaev dropped down to welterweight to take on UFC newcomer and Cage Warriors standout, Rhys McKee. This time he looked even better, dominating McKee from the opening bell and finding the finish inside the first frame.

By September 2020, Chimaev was 3-0 in the UFC and had picked up the biggest win of his career with a spectacular one-punch KO of Gerald Meerschaert. The long-time UFC middleweight was a considerable step in opposition and many suspected that ‘GM3’ could spring the upset. However, Chimaev silenced his doubters with the first punch he landed which closed the show in just 17 seconds.

It was going to take something spectacular to derail one of the fastest moving hype trains of all time and that something spectacular arrived in the form of a global pandemic triggered by a deadly disease.

Chimaev was lined up for a fight with Edwards last year, but the fight fell through on three different occasions. The Swedish fighter contracted COVID-19 and suffered some pretty nasty symptoms that almost brought an end to his career. Chimaev was side-lined for more than a year while he struggled to regain his fitness before finally returning to action last month at UFC 267.

‘Borz’ reminded everyone why he is one of the most exciting prospects in MMA when he picked up Li Jingliang, carried him over to the corner Dana White was sitting in and then slammed him to the mat in that area so he could chat with the UFC president. Once again, Chimaev made the toughest test of his career to date look like a stroll in the park, submitting Jingliang in just over three minutes.

Do you think Khamzat Chimaev should be the favourite against Leon Edwards?

Nick Diaz Interested In Leon Edwards Short Notice Fight At UFC 269

The legendary Nick Diaz is willing to step up on short notice and fight Leon Edwards at UFC 269 after Jorge Masvidal pulled out.

Diaz is coming off of his impressive, albeit short return to the Octagon against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266. After some e…

Nick Diaz

The legendary Nick Diaz is willing to step up on short notice and fight Leon Edwards at UFC 269 after Jorge Masvidal pulled out.

Diaz is coming off of his impressive, albeit short return to the Octagon against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266. After some early success and hard shots, Diaz suffered a TKO loss in Round 3 after falling to the canvas and retiring to strikes.

But Diaz appears ready to fill in on short notice against Edwards after Masvidal suffered an undisclosed injury during camp. While it’s unclear whether or not Edwards will remain on the UFC 269 card, Diaz threw his name in the hat via an Instagram comment.

Nick Diaz Is Willing To Volunteer To Fight Leon Edwards At UFC 269

“Put me in,” Diaz commented on a post from ESPN reporter Brett Okamoto.

Edwards is on the verge of a UFC welterweight title shot against Kamaru Usman and could hold out and wait for a title bout at this point. However, if he wants to remain active, Diaz and Khamzat Chimaev are just a few of the names ready to step up and fight.

After losing to Lawler at UFC 266, it’s unclear if and when Diaz will return to the Octagon. He seemed vague about his fighting future during his UFC 266 post-fight interview but sounds like he’s back on track to compete once again.

What do you think is next for Nick Diaz in the UFC? Who would you like to see him fight next?

Continue Reading Nick Diaz Interested In Leon Edwards Short Notice Fight At UFC 269 at MMA News.