Tag: leon edwards

Khamzat Chimaev Calls Out Leon Edwards for UFC 269 Bout

Khamzat ChimaevRising UFC welterweight star Khamzat Chimaev is ready and willing to fight Leon Edwards on short notice at UFC 269 next month. Edwards was supposed to face Jorge Masvidal in a three-round main card bout, but Masvidal recently withdrew from the bout due to an undisclosed injury. Top contenders such as Belal Muhammad and Gilbert […]

Khamzat Chimaev

Rising UFC welterweight star Khamzat Chimaev is ready and willing to fight Leon Edwards on short notice at UFC 269 next month.

Edwards was supposed to face Jorge Masvidal in a three-round main card bout, but Masvidal recently withdrew from the bout due to an undisclosed injury. Top contenders such as Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns have thrown their names in the hat for a short notice fight with Edwards.

But Chimaev has allegedly been calling for a fight ever since his dominant performance against Li Jingliang at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi and has offered to step up to fill in for Masvidal at UFC 269.

Khamzat Chimaev wants to step up to face Leon Edwards at UFC 269

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto later relayed what Chimaev’s manager told him following the Masvidal news.

Chimaev has risen onto the scene since his electric 2020, in which he earned three finishes within two months. He was one of many prospects who made their stock rise in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chimaev took months off from the fight game after suffering a severe case of COVID, in which he was close to retiring permanently. But he returned this year and got back on track in his pursuit of UFC gold.

Big names, such as welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, have taken notice of Chimaev’s skillset. He was also supposed to fight Edwards last year before he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Edwards is on a nine-fight winning streak and has long called for a title rematch against Usman. While it’s unclear whether or not Edwards will remain on the card, it’s clear that he’s probably the next in line for the title. But he may accept a bout against Chimaev in an attempt to stay active.

Should Leon Edwards accept a short notice fight against Khamzat Chimaev?

Edwards Tells Usman ‘I Will See You Soon’ After Masvidal Withdrawal

It looks like Leon Edwards is not interested in a short notice fight with Khamzat Chimaev.

After news broke on Wednesday, that Jorge Masvidal was out of his UFC 269 fight with Edwards, due to an undisclosed injury, it was unclear what the plan was …

Leon Edwards Khamzat Chimaev

It looks like Leon Edwards is not interested in a short notice fight with Khamzat Chimaev.

After news broke on Wednesday, that Jorge Masvidal was out of his UFC 269 fight with Edwards, due to an undisclosed injury, it was unclear what the plan was as far as a replacement fighter. However, it did not take long for Chimaev to volunteer his services for this opportunity.

Taking to his Twitter, Chimaev called for Edwards to take a fight with him, rescheduling a bout that was canceled on three previous occasions. If this happened, it would see the Chechen back in the Octagon about six weeks after he demolished Li Jingliang at UFC 267.

“Let’s go bro we do it @Leon_edwardsmma ??” Chimaev wrote.

However, it seems that Leon Edwards has some plans of his own, and they do not involve fighting Khamzat Chimaev or anyone else at UFC 269. He took to his Twitter shortly after the news of Masvidal’s withdrawal, expressing his disappointment in the fight being canceled while saying that he was unsurprised.

He then completely ignored the call from Chimaev. Instead, he set his sights on fighting Kamaru Usman sometime next year, saying that he wanted to take time to spend with his family.

“Disappointed but honestly I knew this fraud didn’t want to fight me anyway. He was just a stop off on the way to the title. The goal remains the same. Much needed family time now, @usman84kg i will see you soon,” Edwards wrote.

Nobody can blame Leon Edwards for being more interested in a title shot over a dangerous matchup with an unknown quantity like Khamzat Chimaev, on short notice no less. That said, there is a certain demand among the fans to see this fight happen, so he will no doubt be facing some criticism if this is his final decision.

Continue Reading Edwards Tells Usman ‘I Will See You Soon’ After Masvidal Withdrawal at MMA News.

Leon Edwards Rips ‘Fraud’ Jorge Masvidal After Bout Canceled

Leon EdwardsUFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards has spoken out for the first time since Jorge Masvidal pulled out of their UFC 269 bout, and he isn’t happy. Edwards was supposed to finally settle his beef with Masvidal in the octagon in a three-round main card bout at UFC 269. But, it was reported earlier today that […]

Leon Edwards

UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards has spoken out for the first time since Jorge Masvidal pulled out of their UFC 269 bout, and he isn’t happy.

Edwards was supposed to finally settle his beef with Masvidal in the octagon in a three-round main card bout at UFC 269. But, it was reported earlier today that Masvidal won’t be able to compete due to an undisclosed injury.

It is unclear as to whether or not Edwards will remain on the UFC 269 card, but he sounds coy about what’s next for him. In a recent tweet, Edwards ripped Masvidal for pulling out of the fight while appearing to look ahead to a welterweight title shot against Kamaru Usman.

Jorge Masvidal Pulled Out of His Fight with Leon Edwards Due To an Undisclosed Injury

“Disappointed but honestly I knew this fraud didn’t want to fight me anyway,” Edwards said. “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.”

Edwards is coming off of his UFC 263 win over Nate Diaz by unanimous decision. Fans were distraught upon hearing of Masvidal pulling out of the UFC 269 bout, after what many believed would be the ‘peoples’ main event’ of the card.

Masvidal was set to face Edwards after the two of them brawled backstage two years ago following a UFC London event. The two welterweights have gone back-and-forth in the media and on Twitter since that moment.

Masvidal and Edwards were looking forward to a potential No. 1 contender bout at UFC 269. Belal Muhammad, Khazmat Chimaev, and Gilbert Burns are just a few of the names who have made their interest known regarding a fight with Edwards on short notice.

What do you think should be next for Leon Edwards?

Jorge Masvidal Out Of UFC 269 Fight With Leon Edwards

Jorge MasvidalJorge Masvidal has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 269 fight with Leon Edwards due to an undisclosed injury. Brett Okamoto of ESPN broke the news of Masvida’s unfortunate injury earlier today. Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) vs. Leon Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) is off UFC 269 on Dec. 11, UFC’s Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell tells ESPN,” […]

Jorge Masvidal

Jorge Masvidal has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 269 fight with Leon Edwards due to an undisclosed injury.

Brett Okamoto of ESPN broke the news of Masvida’s unfortunate injury earlier today.

Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) vs. Leon Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) is off UFC 269 on Dec. 11, UFC’s Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell tells ESPN,” Okamoto wrote on social media. “Undisclosed injury for Masvidal. No word yet on whether it will be rebooked or UFC will move on.”

‘Rocky’ established himself as one of the top contenders at 170lbs when he beat Nate Diaz over five rounds at UFC 263 to stretch his winning run to nine straight fights. Edwards will be keen to get an alternative opponent for UFC 269 or quickly reschedule his fight with Masvidal due to the fact he is just one fight away from a title shot.

The Englishman will also want the chance to settle his personal beef with Masvidal. In 2019, ‘Gamebred’ knocked out Darren Till at UFC London before landing a three-piece with the soda on Edwards backstage. A fight between the two appeared to be imminent but Masvidal until recently has distanced himself from a bout with Edwards. However, back-to-back losses to Usman meant ‘Street Jesus’ had some work to do to get back into the welterweight title picture. So, he accepted a fight with Edwards who is widely regarded as next in line for a shot at the champ.

Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington next?

Masvidal’s withdrawal comes just a few days after his former teammate and friend, Colby Covington called him out. ‘Chaos’ suffered a unanimous decision defeat to ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ at UFC 268. Post-fight, Covington asked for a fight with Masvidal and even advised his bitter rival to pull out of his UFC 269 fight with Edwards. Coincidentally that has now happened, and we could finally see one of the biggest rivalries in MMA settle inside the Octagon.

Do you think the UFC will rebook Jorge Masvidal vs. Leon Edwards?

Kamaru Usman Thinks Leon Edwards Cost Himself A Title Shot After Fight With Nate Diaz 

Kamaru UsmanThe Welterweight champ Kamaru Usman thinks Leon Edwards shot himself in the foot by almost getting finished in the fifth round by Nate Diaz at UFC 263. ‘Rocky’ was dominant for most of the fight, but late in the fifth round, he got rocked with a straight left. Diaz took his time instead of trying […]

Kamaru Usman

The Welterweight champ Kamaru Usman thinks Leon Edwards shot himself in the foot by almost getting finished in the fifth round by Nate Diaz at UFC 263.

‘Rocky’ was dominant for most of the fight, but late in the fifth round, he got rocked with a straight left. Diaz took his time instead of trying to finish it, in the most Diaz way possible.

Edwards has been on an absolute tear beating almost all the other title challengers in the division. The “slip up” as Usman has stated, cost Edwards the title shot. Instead of Edwards fighting for the belt, Colby Covington will now be challenging for the belt in a rematch against Usman at UFC 268 on November 6.

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ was very vocal about why he thought Edwards didn’t get the shot at the belt.

“Absolutely because that was an audition,” Usman said in an interview with Daniel Cormier. “You audition for me then I decide it’s you or that guy. Myself and the promotion, we’ll sit down and we’ll say, ‘I like this audition tape. Let’s go ahead and pick him next’ and he went out there and he was auditioning and for a while, he did OK, but then, all of a sudden, the 25th minute, you sh*t the bed. You can’t do that. So that’s what forced the promotion’s hand and my hand because this is business now. Someone has to keep it real with this guy. At the end of the day we know – let’s be honest here, we know this is a business. This is a partnership between us and the promotion. It’s a partnership, you got to give them something to work with. You gotta give them something to sell and they have thrown you bone after bone after bone. Let’s just be honest, based on that last performance, you can’t go out there and do that with Nate Diaz. You can’t do that.” (MMAJunkie)

Edwards is now slated to fight against his rival Jorge Masvidal. A win over Masvidal will ensure Edwards a title shot next against Usman, who handed Edwards his only loss he has had since 2015. Edwards has been tearing through the division and looks to extend his winning streak to 10 fights after his matchup against ‘Gamebred’.

Do you think Kamaru Usman has a point?

Usman Says Edwards, Not The UFC, Forced His Hand To Fight Covington

Kamaru Usman says it wasn’t the UFC that “forced his hand” to rematch Colby Covington but rather Leon “Rocky” Edwards. In two weeks’ time, fans will finally be treated to the highly anticipated rematch between UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington. Covington claims that there is one reason and one reason only the […]

Continue Reading Usman Says Edwards, Not The UFC, Forced His Hand To Fight Covington at MMA News.

Kamaru Usman says it wasn’t the UFC that “forced his hand” to rematch Colby Covington but rather Leon “Rocky” Edwards.

In two weeks’ time, fans will finally be treated to the highly anticipated rematch between UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington. Covington claims that there is one reason and one reason only the rematch was successfully booked: the UFC forced Usman to accept the fight. Had Usman refused, the UFC was prepared to strip him of the title, according to Covington.

Usman has since laughed off this claim and has made it clear that he would love nothing more than to relive the thrill he experienced in the first Covington fight two years ago. However, he has also been on record in stating that Covington needed to “show him something” and earn the rematch beyond one lone victory since their initial encounter.

Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington
Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington, Credit: Getty Images

Based on his comments in a recent interview with Daniel Cormier, Usman seemed to have his eye on Leon Edwards as his next opponent. Unfortunately, Edwards continues to struggle to land that elusive title shot. The reigning champion shared his take as to why that is.

“Somebody has to keep it real with this guy,” Usman said of Edwards. “At the end of the day, let’s be honest here. We know this is a business. It’s a partnership between us and the promotion. It’s a partnership. You gotta give them something to work with. You gotta give them something to sell. And they have thrown you bone after bone after bone after bone. Let’s just be honest. Based on that last performance, you can’t go out there and do that with Nate Diaz. You can’t do that. You can’t do that,” Usman reiterated.

UFC 263: Leon Edwards’ Failed Audition Tape?

UFC 263: Nate Diaz being a legend vs Leon Edwards: Refuses fist bump, applauded being put on his ass and landing a Stockton slap
Credit: Getty Images

Leon Edwards was cruising to a victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 263, only for Diaz to rock his world in the final minute of the bout. According to Usman, this bout was an audition for Edwards to determine if he was suited to be the right “business partner” in a title match against him. Despite Edwards getting his hand raised, the champion feels that the audition was a total failure.

“You have to audition. These are all my sons. You have to audition for me now,” Usman said. “You audition for me, then I will decide if you are that guy. And myself and the promotion will sit down and we’ll say, ‘I like his audition tape. Let’s go ahead and pick him next.’ And he went out there and he was auditioning.

“For a while, he did OK. But then, all of a sudden, the 25th minute, you shit the bed. You can’t do that! You can’t do that. You can’t do that. So that’s what forced the promotion’s hand and my hand—because this is a business now—to say, ‘You know what? Let’s go have fun with this dance partner who’s gonna run his mouth. And of course, people believe that this guy has a chance.”

UFC 268 is indeed expected to do some big business from The Mecca, Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event takes place Saturday, November 6, 2021, with a rematch of one of the best fights in promotion history: Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington.

Do you agree with Kamaru Usman? Did Leon Edwards “fail his audition” in his UFC 263 victory over Nate Diaz?

Continue Reading Usman Says Edwards, Not The UFC, Forced His Hand To Fight Covington at MMA News.