Tag: leon edwards

Georges St-Pierre Explains Why He Thinks Edwards Was Denied Title Shot

Georges St-Pierre has given his thoughts on the landscape of the UFC welterweight division.

The state of the UFC welterweight division is far from black and white at the moment. A few different scenarios have been going around lately and with a fe…

Georges St-Pierre Leon Edwards

Georges St-Pierre has given his thoughts on the landscape of the UFC welterweight division.

The state of the UFC welterweight division is far from black and white at the moment. A few different scenarios have been going around lately and with a few fighters injured things could be up in the air for a while longer. One man who ruled the top of the division some time ago has his thoughts on how things should play out, that man is Georges St-Pierre.

St-Pierre is currently retired and has a unique view of the division from the outside. He feels that number one contender Leon Edwards should be next for the title shot. he explained his reasoning behind these thoughts in an interview with BT Sports.

“He deserves the shot. It’s unfortunate for him [that he hasn’t had it yet]. I think it’s because of the way that the Nate Diaz fight ended,” St-Pierre said. “But it happens to everybody, sometimes you get clipped. You don’t see a punch coming, you zig when you should have zagged. He did the perfect fight until that moment.”

Champion Kamaru Usman recently defeated Colby Covington, and will need some time off with family and to heal up. In the meantime, Edwards was scheduled to face Jorge Masvidal, but that fight fell through when Masvidal suffered an injury. This leaves Edwards in a tough place. He could very well wait until Usman is ready and then get that title shot, or he could fight someone else and possibly lose out.

“He deserves a shot, you know. You’re in the fight business, at one point you’re going to take a shot and you might get rocked. He showed incredible heart and I think he is ready for a title shot,” St-Pierre said. “But the UFC runs a business, they make money. Of course, there’s a story with Leon and [Jorge] Masvidal and as a fan, I’m curious to see what was going to happen between them as well.”

Dana White has said that he and the UFC are looking to make something happen for Edwards. He wasn’t specific but it could be another matchup for a title eliminator matchup. The timeline for Usman’s return was not specified, but Edwards has been known to sit out for long periods of time.

Do you agree with GSP, should Leon Edwards just get the next title shot without another fight?

Continue Reading Georges St-Pierre Explains Why He Thinks Edwards Was Denied Title Shot at MMA News.

Dana White ‘Working On Something’ For Leon Edwards That’s Not A Kamaru Usman Rematch

Dana WhiteDana White has confirmed that the UFC is “working on something” for welterweight contender Leon Edwards, but that the process does NOT include current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Edwards (19-3) was supposed to be facing off against Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal at next week’s stacked UFC 269 PPV event. However, Masvidal suffered a rib injury in […]

Dana White

Dana White has confirmed that the UFC is “working on something” for welterweight contender Leon Edwards, but that the process does NOT include current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

Edwards (19-3) was supposed to be facing off against Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal at next week’s stacked UFC 269 PPV event. However, Masvidal suffered a rib injury in training and the fight is now scrapped. Edwards then verbally unloaded on Masvidal, claiming that he was “dodging him”, before aiming his crosshairs on Usman, tweeting that he will “see him soon.”

Despite feeling justified that a current ten-fight unbeaten streak is enough to warrant a crack at ‘The Nigerian Nightmare”’ White has other plans for Edwards.

Dana White Rules Out Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman II

During a recent appearance on the Jim Rome Podcast, White confirmed that Usman was not in the near future thinking of White for “Rocky” Edwards. 

Usman (20-1 MMA) most recently a month ago, headlining UFC 268, where he defeated Colby Covington for the second time in a thrilling five-round affair.

According to Dana White, Usman is presently sidelined due to a hand injury and thus a rematch with Edwards is currently out of the equation.

Usman and Edwards originally collided in December of 2015, with Kamaru emerging victorious by way of a unanimous decision. Since then, ‘Rocky’ has gone 9-0 with 1 no-contest in an unfortunate bout with Belal Muhammed. During his impressive run, Edwards has scored victories over Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone, Gunnar Nelson, and former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos. 

Who do you think Dana White will book Leon Edwards against?

Dana White Has ‘Something’ In Mind For Leon Edwards

Dana White reveals he might have an idea for Leon Edwards.

The welterweight title picture seemed pretty clear for a bit. Kamaru Usman beat Colby Covington for the second time and Leon Edwards was going to fight Jorge Masvidal for the next contende…

Dana White Leon Edwards

Dana White reveals he might have an idea for Leon Edwards.

The welterweight title picture seemed pretty clear for a bit. Kamaru Usman beat Colby Covington for the second time and Leon Edwards was going to fight Jorge Masvidal for the next contender spot. Although, now that Jorge Masvidal is injured, that could leave Edwards hanging in the balance. However, UFC president Dana White might have an idea up his sleeve.

“JUST IN: Per Dana White, the UFC is currently ‘working on something’ for Leon Edwards following Jorge Masvidal’s withdrawal from their grudge match. Will be interesting to see what that is as White also said they won’t look to book champ Kamaru Usman until his hand is better.”

According to MMA reporter Chisanga Malata, White has a plan for Edwards. However, with Usman out for an undisclosed amount of time, it could be interesting to see what is in store for him. He had been very adamant about only wanting a title shot even before he accepted the Masvidal fight. Now with Masvidal out, he has gone back to requiring the next title shot.

Edwards has had ten fights in a row without a loss. He did have a no-contest thrown in there after an accidental eye poke on Belal Muhammad. Many believed his last win over Nate Diaz in June should have sealed the deal on a title shot.

Possible opponents for Edwards could include Gilbert Burns, who has been asking for a shot at him but is reportedly in talks to fight Khamzat Chimaev. Vicente Luque has also been asking for a fight against Edwards. Or perhaps it could something completely out of the ballpark, like Nick Diaz. Either way, Edwards could refuse all offers and sit and wait for Usman after all.

What do you want to see next for Leon Edwards?

Continue Reading Dana White Has ‘Something’ In Mind For Leon Edwards at MMA News.

Khamzat Chimaev Claims Leon Edwards Wouldn’t Spar With Him

Khamzat ChimaevKhamzat Chimaev claims that Leon Edwards visited a gym he was training at and “ran away” from a sparring session, before Chimaev was signed with the UFC. Chimaev and Edwards have had a few fights fall through between the two of them. The two fighters were scheduled to go toe to toe with each other […]

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev claims that Leon Edwards visited a gym he was training at and “ran away” from a sparring session, before Chimaev was signed with the UFC.

Chimaev and Edwards have had a few fights fall through between the two of them. The two fighters were scheduled to go toe to toe with each other three times, but COVID-19 had other plans. Both fighters ended up catching COVID and would force them to withdraw two separate times. Then when the UFC made the fight again, Chimaev had to drop out due to the lingering effects that COVID had on him. There were even rumors that ‘Borz’ would retire during that time.

Chimaev would end up coming back in 2021 after his long battle with COVID and faced off against Li Jingliang, who he easily defeated via a first round submission. With that being said, Chimaev still has his eyes set on Edwards and wants to fight him in the near future.

Khamzat Chimaev was on ‘Hustle MMA’ being interviewed when he stated that Leon Edwards ran from the sparring session and would his most desired fight in the division.

“How can I put it. He was in our gym. I wanted to spar with him. But he ran away. When I wasn’t in the UFC. I offered to spar, he wouldn’t even spar with me. And he said: ‘In the future, maybe, we’ll see.’ When the fight was scheduled for the first time, he had Covid, and then I had my own problems. Now we are back – I challenged him, and he said he wants to fight Usman. And Usman isn’t going to fight for 6-7 months. So is Edwards just going to sit around? I don’t think so. I don’t know, he’s a weird dude too.” (Transcribed by Sportskeeda)

Whether Edwards will take the bate and fight Chimaev is another story. It seems as if Edwards is willing to hold out for the Kamaru Usman fight, as he has won nine fights in a row. Taking a fight with Chimaev and losing could be detrimental to his title shot hopes. On the other, a win over Edwards for Chimaev would set him up for a title shot as well. It is obvious why Chimaev wants this fight or a Colby Covington fight, as it is the shortest route to a title shot.

Would you want to see Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards finally fight inside the octagon?

Bisping Tips Chimaev To “Leapfrog” Edwards With Another Win

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping believes Khamzat Chimaev is one win away from jumping Leon Edwards in the queue for a title shot.

While some believe Edwards is in need of another victory over a top contender, many think the English…

Michael Bisping, Leon Edwards, Khamzat Chimaev

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping believes Khamzat Chimaev is one win away from jumping Leon Edwards in the queue for a title shot.

While some believe Edwards is in need of another victory over a top contender, many think the Englishman has done more than enough to deserve a meeting in the Octagon with the champion. “Rocky” is unbeaten since a 2015 loss to current welterweight king Kamaru Usman. Across nine wins in that period, he’s beaten the likes of Vicente Luque, Donald Cerrone, Rafael dos Anjos, and Nate Diaz.

After failing to secure an opportunity ahead of Colby Covington, Edwards accepted a grudge match against Jorge Masvidal, which was set for UFC 269 on December 11. A month out from the clash, “Gamebred” withdrew due to injury. In response, Edwards made his intention to wait for a rematch with Usman clear.

But his nation’s only UFC champion believes there’s one name he should be worried about. In an interview with SunSport, Bisping claimed that while a shot at gold is certainly overdue for Edwards, surging contender Chimaev could “leapfrog” him in the queue with another Octagon triumph.

“A title shot is long overdue for Leon. But the problem is, as I just mentioned, Khamzat. If Khamzat has another quick win, he’s probably going to leapfrog Leon simply because everyone is talking about him. I did a YouTube video on him on my channel and everybody loved it. They’re more interested in Khamzat than they are Glover Teixeira, which is insane.”

After arriving in the promotion with a record-breaking three wins in 66 days last year, Chimaev found himself on the sidelines with a rough bout of COVID-19. Having overcome the virus, the Chechen-Born Swede returned in style at UFC 267, choking out Li Jingliang in the first round.

Bisping admitted that Chimaev’s win against Jingliang convinced him that “Borz” is the real deal. “The Count” even went as far as to describe the #11-ranked welterweight’s dominance and fanfare as “early Conor McGregor stuff.”

“There is cause for concern because of Khamzat… It’s insane, it’s crazy. This motherfucker is out of his mind in the best possible way. He goes forward, he picks him up in the air and he’s having a conversation with Dana [White], slams him down and then finishes him. It’s wild!

“I was a little bit on the fence. I was like, ‘Okay, he beat Rhys McKee and John Phillips.’ And no disrespect to them, but tailormade match-ups in terms of style. Then [after the] Gerald Meerschaert [fight], I thought, ‘Ah, Gerald, he kind of froze and he got caught. Maybe it was a lucky punch.’ To do that to Jingliang, ‘The Leech,’ who is a tough guy – he’s no walk in the park for anybody. To do it and to make it look so easy and to do it with such confidence and bravado and arrogance. To be so arrogant and be able to carry it out like that is [insane]… I hate to say it, but this is early Conor McGregor stuff, isn’t it? It really is. He’s an incredible star.”

Chimaev Is Reportedly Set For A Top-Five Opponent In January

The “one quick victory” that Bisping believes may damage Edwards’ title aspirations could come as soon as January 2022. After seeing his hopes of replacing Masvidal at UFC 269 fall through, Chimaev is reportedly set to face top-five contender Gilbert Burns, per Swedish MMA outlet Frontkick.online.

Burns challenged for the title earlier this year at UFC 258. Despite knocking Usman down early, “Durinho” was finished via TKO in the third round. Having rebounded soon after against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, the Brazilian will be looking to secure a rematch with “The Nigerian Nightmare” next year.

The logical next fight would be with #4-ranked Vicente Luque. However, the pair are friends and teammate over at Sanford MMA, so won’t be colliding in the cage. With that in mind, Burns will seemingly need to derail the Chimaev hype train in what would almost certainly be a title eliminator.

Do you think a victory over Gilbert Burns would earn Khamzat Chimaev a title shot over Leon Edwards?

Continue Reading Bisping Tips Chimaev To “Leapfrog” Edwards With Another Win at MMA News.

Vicente Luque Calls For Title Eliminator Against Leon Edwards

UFC welterweight contender Vicente Luque has called for a title eliminator against #2-ranked Leon Edwards, and suggested he could make weight for UFC 269.

Luque has surged into the 170-pound top five with back-to-back submission wins in 2021. The B…

Vicente Luque, Leon Edwards

UFC welterweight contender Vicente Luque has called for a title eliminator against #2-ranked Leon Edwards, and suggested he could make weight for UFC 269.

Luque has surged into the 170-pound top five with back-to-back submission wins in 2021. The Brazilian initially entered it after a memorable victory over former champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 260 in March. Michael Chiesa then sent Luque back to #6 in the summer without either man fighting prior to the rankings update.

Luque reversed that change in emphatic fashion when he met “Maverick” at UFC 265 in August. After escaping multiple submission attempts against the grappling specialist, “The Silent Assassin” lived up to his moniker, reversing position and locking Chiesa in a D’Arce choke.

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

Luque: “It Would Remove Any Doubts”

Luque’s second D’Arce choke triumph of 2021 marked his fourth straight victory. Prior to his successes against Woodley and Chiesa, the 29-year-old finished Randy Brown and Niko Price. A defeat to perennial contender Stephen Thompson in 2019 is Luque’s only blemish in his last 11 Octagon outings. In that time, he’s secured six bonuses, five of which have come in his last six appearances.

Having entered championship contention, “The Silent Assassin” believes he has earned a title eliminator. After Jorge Masvidal’s withdrawal from his UFC 269 clash against Leon Edwards, Luque pitched a number one contender contest with “Rocky” during an interview with AG Fight.

While the Englishman has announced his intention to move towards a rematch with Kamaru Usman for the gold, Luque suggested he’d be ready to fill in for “Gamebred” at next month’s pay-per-view. That’s despite the fact he missed weight as backup for the UFC 268 main event earlier this month.

“I would accept (the fight). I saw a lot of people talking about this fight and I didn’t say much because there were a lot of people asking. I’m always ready, I couldn’t beat the weight to be in reserve for Kamaru (Usman) and Colby (Covington), but I got the news within 10 days. If the UFC calls me, I’ll be in and sign a contract. A month is easy to beat the weight and I would still have time to do a good workout,” Luque said. (h/t BJPenn.com)

While some fans are calling for Edwards to receive the next shot, something the Jamaican-born Brit believes he is long overdue, others believe Luque should sit at the top of the queue. According to the Brazilian, a title eliminator between the pair makes the most sense.

“I think it would remove any doubts. There are people who think I should fight for the belt, there are people who think Leon. He has a great streak of victories, but I’ve done some damage in the division, with victories, so a fight between the two of us would remove any doubts and would be the next challenger for Kamaru.”

Would you like to see Vicente Luque and Leon Edwards collide in a title eliminator?

Continue Reading Vicente Luque Calls For Title Eliminator Against Leon Edwards at MMA News.