Tag: leon edwards

Gilbert Burns Thinks Leon Edwards Is a ‘Coward’ For Ducking Masvidal

Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal have been calling out Leon Edwards but Burns thinks Edwards is ducking them both. The welterweight title contention picture seems to be crowded these days. Champion Kamaru Usman has his next date set already when he faces Colby Covington on November 6. Past that day things can get a little […]

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Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal have been calling out Leon Edwards but Burns thinks Edwards is ducking them both.

The welterweight title contention picture seems to be crowded these days. Champion Kamaru Usman has his next date set already when he faces Colby Covington on November 6. Past that day things can get a little messy. No matter who wins in New York on Nov. 6, there could be three possible men waiting in the wings.

Jorge Masvidal, Gilbert Burns, and Leon Edwards are all sitting in the top six of the division and could easily step into a title shot. Edwards may be the next logical choice so he is opting to wait for his turn. However, he has been called out by both Burns and Masvidal. Burns seems to be moving past the option but thinks Edwards shouldn’t be running from Masvidal.

“I think, stylistically, it’s a good fight for Leon Edwards,” Burns said to Brett Okamoto from ESPN. “And bro, the guy hit you with three-piece and a soda. And you’ve been asking for this fight for years. Now the guy says yes, you say no? Man, that guy’s a freakin’ coward.”

Masvidal and Edwards have some history. They met behind the scenes at a UFC event in London and exchanged some words and a few blows. Despite the feud, Edwards has reportedly turned down offers to fight Masvidal. According to Burns, this makes Edwards a coward. Burns had some further thoughts on this subject.

“In Brazil, if I tell my friends, my coach, and my guys in Brazil, ‘Man, that guy beat me on the street and they run, they break out the fight.’” Burns said. “Now they offer the fight and I say no? Bro, they’re gonna bully me”

Do you agree with Gilbert Burn’s opinion of Leon Edwards?

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Gilbert Burns Slams ‘Coward’ Edwards For Avoiding Masvidal

Gilbert BurnsWhen Gilbert Burns was interviewed by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto this week, he made it clear that he thinks his fellow welterweight contender Leon Edwards is a “coward” for not taking the Jorge Masvidal fight, especially after being hit backstage at an event a few years ago. Masvidal recently revealed that he’s “moving on” from pursuing […]

Gilbert Burns

When Gilbert Burns was interviewed by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto this week, he made it clear that he thinks his fellow welterweight contender Leon Edwards is a “coward” for not taking the Jorge Masvidal fight, especially after being hit backstage at an event a few years ago.

Masvidal recently revealed that he’s “moving on” from pursuing a bout with Edwards after the British fighter had turned down several offers to fight him. According to Burns, that was a cowardly move on Edwards’ part given their history. Burns said during the interview,

“I think stylistically (Masvidal) is a good fight for Leon Edwards. Bro, the guy hit you with a three-piece and a soda, and you’ve been asking for this fight for years. Now, the guy says yes, and you say no? Man, that guy’s a freaking coward.”

Here is the ESPN interview in full:

While many might agree with Burns’ disdain for Edwards at the moment, someone that knows a thing or two about title shots thinks otherwise. Daniel Cormier explained on his YouTube show DC & RC that Edwards should wait for a title shot, much like Burns and Masvidal did not so long ago.

“Why in the world should Leon Edwards now wanna look back to you guys?” said Cormier. “And I’m saying ‘you guys’ because Gilbert Burns, too. Gilbert Burns is guilty of this. (Masvidal and Burns) did not want to talk about Leon Edwards at all when they were the ones on the shortlist of a championship fight. Now, Leon is in that position and they wanna call him out. No, Leon. ‘Rocky’ ,get the title shot that you so justly deserve. Don’t waste your time.” (Transcribed by Sportskeeda)

Meanwhile, Edwards is adamant about waiting for his shot and fighting the winner of next month’s title fight between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington.

While both sides make some sense to them, it’s hard to disagree with the amount of money and attention Edwards could get in a fight against Masvidal that favors him stylistically.

Do you agree with Gilbert Burns? Is Leon Edwards being a coward by refusing to fight Jorge Masvidal?

Masvidal “Demands” Fight From UFC, Slams “F*cking Moron” Leon Edwards

Jorge Masvidal’s attempts to find an opponent have come to naught—and he’s not happy. The UFC’s official Baddest Motherf*cker hasn’t graced the Octagon since his second unsuccessful title fight against Kamaru Usman in April. That sensational KO loss—the first of his career—has seen “Gamebred” slip out of the top five welterweight rankings and perhaps taken […]

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Jorge Masvidal’s attempts to find an opponent have come to naught—and he’s not happy.

The UFC’s official Baddest Motherf*cker hasn’t graced the Octagon since his second unsuccessful title fight against Kamaru Usman in April. That sensational KO loss—the first of his career—has seen “Gamebred” slip out of the top five welterweight rankings and perhaps taken some of the shine from his star power.

Jorge Masvidal Usman
PHOTO: MMA FIGHTING

Jorge Masvidal Blasts UFC For Failing To Find Opponent

The 36-year-old is itching to get back to action and make another tilt at the title. But a fired-up Masvidal told MMA Uncensored that despite working the phones to sort out an opponent with UFC matchmaker Hunter Campbell, he’s still waiting.

“I’ve been freaking going in and out of Hunter [Campbell’s] office and calling him and they still haven’t given me a date or opponent,” Masvidal said (h/t MMA FIGHTING). “I wanted to fight this year. I don’t know what the f*ck’s going to happen.”

So fired-up is Masvidal that he’s threatening to launch some sort of one-man coup d’état against the UFC, and demanding that MMA media join his crusade.

“I already told them give me a f*cking deadline before I go full blast takeover,” Masvidal said. “Like one of those bad governments when they get flipped and stuff. I need a fight, Hunter!”

“Make sure the clickbaiters put ‘Masvidal demands fight soon’ and then under put Hunter [Campbell]. They’ll know what I mean.”

Masvidal Says He’s Moved On From Leon Edwards

In recent weeks, it seemed the stars were aligning for Masvidal and long-time agitator Leon Edwards to finally face off in the Octagon. The matchup is one of the most hotly-anticipated in MMA and would provide finality to a beef that stretches back to 2019 when Masvidal served up his infamous “three-piece and a soda” to the Englishman’s face.

Masvidal Edwards
The infamous “three piece and a soda” incident” that transpired backstage at UFC London in 2019. (PHOTO: ESSENTIALLY SPORTS).

Edwards stated late last month that he was down to fight Masvidal before the year’s end, but fight negotiations have since fallen through, with both parties predictably blaming the other. Masvidal now says he’s fed up with the Englishman’s dithering and has resolved to put the whole situation in the rearview. 

“That guy is such a talking f*cking machine,” Masvidal said about Edwards. “Cause the contract’s in front of his face, he’s said no like two or three times already. We’re already moving on. We’re not gonna say names or nothing. I do a lot of this when it comes to contracts. It’s either yes or no when a contract gets put in front of me.”

Jorge firmly believes Edwards is beneath his lofty station, and that it would be better to concern himself with more lucrative foes.

“Who is the highest-ranked guy with the most money I can make, that’s who I’m going with,” continued Masvidal. “Leon was talking about how I turned down the fight. No, you f*cking moron of a person. I fought for the belt twice. Why would I fight you? Who the f*ck are you again? Now I got some spare time, I’ll beat this guy’s f*cking teeth in but he’s nowhere to be found. So we might have to move on cause he’s a coward.”

Edwards has since clapped back on social media, responding to earlier media reports of Masvidal’s comments.

Who do you think Jorge Masvidal should fight next?

Continue Reading Masvidal “Demands” Fight From UFC, Slams “F*cking Moron” Leon Edwards at MMA News.

Leon Edwards Doesn’t See The Point In Fighting Gilbert Burns

While speaking on The MMA Hour, Leon Edwards shut down the idea of fighting fellow welterweight contender Gilbert Burns.  Recently, Edwards has been back and forth on who is next for him. But when the topic of Gilbert Burns came up, Edwards was quick to close the door on a potential matchup.  “Gilbert does nothing […]

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While speaking on The MMA Hour, Leon Edwards shut down the idea of fighting fellow welterweight contender Gilbert Burns. 

Recently, Edwards has been back and forth on who is next for him. But when the topic of Gilbert Burns came up, Edwards was quick to close the door on a potential matchup. 

“Gilbert does nothing for my career or nothing for me at this point,” Edwards scoffed. “Like I said, he just got knocked out, cried like a baby in the Octagon, and then went and humped Wonderboy for three rounds. So nah.”

Leon Edwards Belal Muhammad
Leon Edwards faces off against Belal Muhammed ahead of their main event fight. (via MMAJunkie)

The Englishman has been a top contender for years now, but the universe continues to conspire against him. Edwards was on a tear until COVID-19 protocols canceled the U.K. event that “Rocky” was set to headline in 2020. Stuck in a COVID-induced limbo, Edwards was then booked to face Khamzat Chimaev on three different occasions. None of those bouts would come to fruition due to the pandemic.

After the layoff, Edwards made his way back only to have an accidental eye-poke leave his short-notice opponent, Belal Muhammed, unable to continue. At UFC 263, Edwards beat up Nate Diaz for the better part of five rounds, even if some fans only recall the final minute. 

Burns’ wrestling-heavy victory over Stephen Thompson at UFC 264 may have caught some flack, but it proves that Burns is still a problem for the top five. 

While it makes sense for Burns to call out other top contenders en route to another title fight, Ariel Helwani actually admonished Burns for the move in a recent segment on his show. 

Should Leon Edwards take a fight against another contender or wait for a title shot?

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Michael Page: Leon Edwards Will Never Get A Title Shot

Michael Page believes his fellow countrymen, Leon Edwards won’t ever fight for UFC gold. Edwards is currently the third-ranked welterweight contender and coming off a dominant win over Nate Diaz at UFC 263. However, for Page, he believes Edwards won’t get a title shot because of his personality and the fact he doesn’t draw eyes. […]

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Michael Page believes his fellow countrymen, Leon Edwards won’t ever fight for UFC gold.

Edwards is currently the third-ranked welterweight contender and coming off a dominant win over Nate Diaz at UFC 263. However, for Page, he believes Edwards won’t get a title shot because of his personality and the fact he doesn’t draw eyes. Page gave the example that most people know Edwards for is getting sucker-punched by Masvidal and nearly getting knocked out by Diaz in the final minute.

“He has killed some great fighters, but he will never get a title shot,” Page told Metro. “His biggest moment in MMA was getting sucker-punched by another MMA fighter. That’s disgusting. That does show he is not branding himself correctly, maybe it’s not in his personality but I think he just cares more about the fight, which I get and he is great at it but he needs to understand it is a partnership that needs to be at hand here and he needs to be a bit more aware of that.”

Kamaru Usman, the current welterweight champion, will defend his belt at UFC 268 in a rematch against Colby Covington. After that, it’s uncertain what would be next for Usman, but Page doubts it would be Edwards. However, he does hope the Brit does fight for UFC gold but he knows “Rocky” needs to market himself better.

“It’s disappointing because I want him to do well and I know he’s a sick fighter, I have sparred him before, worked with him before but I don’t see him blowing up in the same way because if you are not drawing in those people then promoters are not going to care for you. That affects your career. If you are not drawing in those people, those promoters are not going to care enough to promote you,” Page said. “They might pick this guy who has only had two fights in the UFC but is making a lot of noise and think: ‘We will give him the title fight instead’. It is wrong, but as a promoter, I get why they would make that decision over what is technically right.”

Michael Page is set to return on Friday in London in the main event of Bellator 267 as he rematches Douglas Lima. Leon Edwards, meanwhile, does not have his next fight booked and hasn’t fought since June where he beat Nate Diaz by decision.

Do you agree with Michael Page that Leon Edwards will never get a title shot?

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Helwani Says Burns Challenging Edwards Shows Lack Of Fighter Unity

Ariel Helwani is going to bat for Leon Edwards, even if that means taking some swings at other welterweights in the process. UFC welterweight Leon Edwards going unbeaten in his last 10 fights has been well documented. Unfortunately for the Englishman, however, this impressive streak has been overshadowed by the fact that no title shot […]

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Ariel Helwani is going to bat for Leon Edwards, even if that means taking some swings at other welterweights in the process.

UFC welterweight Leon Edwards going unbeaten in his last 10 fights has been well documented. Unfortunately for the Englishman, however, this impressive streak has been overshadowed by the fact that no title shot has come from it. Edwards has experienced great frustration from the entire ordeal, but he is not without his advocates. Perhaps the most vocal and notable of whom being renowned MMA reporter Ariel Helwani.

Last year, Edwards was slated to face Tyron Woodley in a UFC on ESPN Fight Night headliner. The belief was that with a win, Edwards would solidify himself as being next in line for a title shot. Unfortunately, due to traveling restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Edwards was unable to make it to the United States in time, so he was replaced with Gilbert Burns instead.

UFC Fight Night - Who's next for Gilbert Burns, Tyron Woodley and Mackenzie Dern?
Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

After Burns dominated Woodley, he became the new top contender to challenge welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman. Helwani was one of the few who went against the grain and suggested Burns fight Edwards in a title-eliminator bout instead. Eventually, Burns would receive the shot against Usman at UFC 258 earlier this year but fell to the champion via TKO.

Since the loss, Burns has been trying to work his way back to a title fight. He began this process with a victory over Stephen Thompson at UFC 264. After this most recent showing, one of the names he has called out persistently is Leon Edwards. Speaking on his program The MMA Hour, Helwani argued that Burns’s push to fight Edwards is a testament to a lack of fighter unity in the sport and then proceeded to lay down a rant about why specifically the callout irks him so.

“My thing is, alright, he got the title shot. You got your opportunity. Why are you trying to take another man’s opportunity away?” Helwani said of Burns. “Now, he’s going out and saying, ‘You should fight me. You should fight me. You should fight me.’ A year ago, he wanted nothing to do with you…

“Man, you got your title shot. You got your chance. You got your opportunity to realize your dream. Go bother someone else! Like, why are you trying to take away this man’s title shot who has done it the right way, who has put his head down, who has put his hard hat on, who has been screwed up by the politics of the game, all this stuff? leave him alone!

“Go fight Vicente Luque or someone like that. That’s the part that really grinds my gears here. There should be some kind of bond between the fighters. Yo, man, you just fought for the belt. Don’t take another man’s opportunity away. Don’t take money off his table, food off of his plate when you just fought for the belt.”

Gilbert Burns has also called out Nate Diaz for his next fight, but Diaz has expressed more interest in facing the aforementioned Vicente Luque. Meanwhile, Leon Edwards remains unbooked at the moment but stated in his appearance on The MMA Hour that he would be interested in finally facing Jorge Masvidal as long as the fight happens before the end of the year. Any time after that and “Rocky” would much rather wait for a title shot instead.

Do you agree with Ariel Helwani’s rant about Gilbert Burns calling out Leon Edwards?

Continue Reading Helwani Says Burns Challenging Edwards Shows Lack Of Fighter Unity at MMA News.