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Leon Edwards scoffs at UFC title fights with Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns: ‘There’s no contender’

Leon Edwards claims there is no distinct contender within the current welterweight pile who have earned their shot at his undisputed crown, including former interim champion, Colby Covington, and recent UFC 287 victor, Gilbert Burns. Edwards, the current undisputed welterweight champion, most recently headlined UFC 286 back in March in a championship trilogy rubber match […]

Edwards, the current undisputed welterweight champion, most recently headlined UFC 286 back in March in a championship trilogy rubber match against Kamaru Usman, landing a one-sided unanimous decision victory.

Initially expected to return to the Octagon at UFC 291 on July 22. – ahead of a planned London, England return for the promotion, Edwards has claimed he has no interest in making a return on that date.

Questioning the vality of the above-mentioned, Covington’s claim to a title opportunity against him next, Edwards stressed his preferall in a return in October at a planned UFC 294 event in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Leon Edwards claims there is no contender for him to defend his UFC title against

However, the Birmingham native has claimed when it comes to next opponents for him, neither Covington nor recent winner, Burns have done enough to warrant a challenge.

“At the moment in the division, there’s no clear number one contender,” Leon Edwards told Sky Sports. “Colby (Covington) is coming off two loses, one win. Gilbert (Burns) – similar. These guys are winning one fight, losing one fight, and then fighting for a world title. It’s a difficult time. Like I said, there’s no clear number one contender.”

“Colby being uninjured, sitting ton the sidelines, turning down fights for over a year,” Leon Edwards said. “Nobody else has done that and earned a title shot from doing that. That’s the why not – he hasn’t earned his position. You can’t sit out uninjured over a year turning down fights and then, okay, I want a title shot now. That’s never been done before. Now, I’m champion, I decide. Colby isn’t a champion. He don’t decide nothing.”

“If it’s Colby, then it’s Colby,” Leon Edwards explained. “It is what it is. The order – let’s say who’s next, Burns, Colby, Belal (Muhammad), whoever else. They’re all similar fights. They’re all going to come with the same game plan. It’s all the same. It’s not about the opponent. There’s not fear for Colby. There’s nothing that’s fearful of Colby.”

Leon Edwards confirms he won’t fight at UFC 291 in July, eyes return in October on Abu Dhabi card instead

Undisptued UFC welterweight champion, Leon Edwards claims he will not be competing at UFC 291 on July 22. at a targeted London, England event – preferring an October return at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Edwards, who headlined UFC 286 just last month, managed to successfully defend his title in a trilogy title rubber […]

Edwards, who headlined UFC 286 just last month, managed to successfully defend his title in a trilogy title rubber match win over former champion and former pound-for-pound fighter, Kamaru Usman – nabbing a close, majority decision victory.

The Birmingham native was lined up subsequently to face the current #2 ranked contender and former interim welterweight champion, Colby Covington for his second attempted title defense, with UFC leader, Dana White confirming how the latter would be next to challenge for gold in the division.

However, Edwards would question how the Clovis native, who has been sidelined since March of last year deserved a title showdown against him.

As a result, Covington, who most recently landed a unanimous decision win over the recently retired, Jorge Masvidal, claimed he had received assurances from UFC brass and White that Edwards would be stripped if he refused to fight him.

Leon Edwards uninterested in July return at earmarked UFC 291 card

However, according to Edwards, the Team Renagade BJJ & MMA staple has no intentions of fighting at soon as July at UFC 291 – particularly against the outspoken, Covington.

“No [he will not fight at UFC London], unless it comes with some stupid money, the bag always talks,” Leon Edwards told Sky Sports. “Unless the stupid money comes I don’t see it – I’d literally have to get back in training camp next week.”

“I fought under a month ago,” Leon Edwards explained. “March to July, I don’t think [that] makes sense. In the last year or so, I’ve fought three times I think. I’d love to fight now towards the end of the year. The Abu Dhabi card [UFC 294] card would be great. That would be perfect. I get to nurse my injuries, I get time to get back into it. I feel like Abu Dhabi would be perfect.”

Winning the undisputed welterweight title back in August of last year in Salt Lake City, Utah – Edwards rallied to finish Usman with a thunderous fifth round high kick in their championship rematch.

Colby Covington slates Jorge Masvidal following UFC 287 retirement: ‘He’s a broken man’

Colby Covington has described former opponent and arch-rival, Jorge Masvidal as a “broken man” following his loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 and subsequent retirement last weekend – claiming that he, in fact, was the one to send the Floridian into retirement following their UFC 272 clash last year. Covington, the current #2 ranked […]

Covington, the current #2 ranked welterweight contender and former interim division titleholder, has yet to return to the Octagon since headlining UFC 272 back in March of last year against Masvidal, securing a one-sided unanimous decision victory over the Miami native in their long-awaited grudge match.

As for Masvidal, the #11 ranked welterweight contender slumped to his fourth consecutive Octagon blemish at UFC 278 over the course of the weekend, dropping another unanimous decision loss, this time opposite Brazilian contender, Burns.

Following his judging loss on home soil, Masvidal announced his intentions to retire from mixed martial arts and active competition with immediate effect, ending a storied tenure in the sport.

Colby Covington claims he retired Jorge Masvidal last year

Reacting to his enemy’s retirement from the sport, Covington claims that he, in fact, was the fighter to send him packing last year rather than Burns on Saturday night, describing Masvidal as a “broken man”.

“If I wanted to give my honest take, he (Jorge Masvidal) was retired after I beat him,” Colby Covington told Submission Radio following UFC 287. “He’s a broken man. There’s a reason that he came out and did what he did to me in the streets like a little clown. There’s no pride in that guy. He just didn’t want to have to live the rest of his life knowing that he retired off of getting his ass beat by me. …But, guys, I’ll be honest, I retired Jorge ‘Street Judas’ last year in 2022 in T-Mobile Arena.”

“… The guy’s a felon, he’s a criminal, he’s a coward,” Colby Covington explained. “He’s not a real man. If he was a real man, he wouldn’t have done what he did to me. So, I got nothing else to say to him.

As for Clovis native, Covington, the two-time undisputed welterweight title challenger is expected to challenge for division spoils against current champion, Leon Edwards at UFC 291 in July in an earmarked pay-per-view event in London, England.

Jorge Masvidal questions Colby Covington’s UFC title shot: ‘I thought he had a brain injury?’

Ahead of his own Octagon return at UFC 287 this weekend, former two-time title challenger, Jorge Masvidal has questioned how former interim welterweight champion, Colby Covington can challenge Leon Edwards for gold this summer, pointing to the Clovis’ claim to have suffered a brain injury during their extracurricular altercation in March of last year. Masvidal, […]

Masvidal, the current #11 ranked welterweight contender, is scheduled to return to the Octagon at UFC 287 this weekend in Miami, Florida – taking on fellow division contender, Gilbert Burns in a pivotal co-headlining slot.

Sidelined since March of last year, Miami veteran, Jorge Masvidal suffered a one-sided unanimous decision loss to Covington in their long-awaited grudge match.

As for Covington, the Californian attended UFC 286 last month – serving as an official backup to the event’s welterweight title fight between Edwards, and former opponent, Kamaru Usman.

And following the conclusion of the pay-per-view main event, Covington has been slated to fight Birmingham native, Edwards in an undisputed welterweight title fight this summer.

Earlier this week to boot, reports detailed how the promotion was targeting a welterweight title fight between Edwards and Covington for UFC 291 on July 22. – with the flagship event earmarked for London, England.

Jorge Masvidal questions how Colby Covington has landed a UFC title fight

Questioning Covington’s stake to a title fight with Edwards, Masvidal scoffed at the idea of the #2 ranked contender challenging for gold next.

“More than anything, he’s (Colby Covington) claiming that he has a brain injury, so now, all of a sudden, you could fight?” Jorge Masvidal said during an interview with The Sporting News. “I have three felonies because this guy’s saying that I allegedly, did this and I allegedly did that and he has a brain injury off of it, but you can go fight for a world title if you’ve got a brain injury?”

“I don’t know why exactly he (Dana White) did that [announce Colby Covington as the next title challenger],” Jorge Masvidal continued. “But I also know that maybe he’s setting up the stage real high for me. He wants me to go in there and just smash a record on Gilbert’s (Burns) face so there’s like no question about it. Masvidal is fighting for the belt and that’s the only way around it.”

In his most recent professional victory, Masvidal earned a fourth doctor’s stoppage TKO victory over Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 244 back in November 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Colby Covington addresses threat to Jon Anik: ‘He found out the stove can be very hot, he shouldn’t touch it’

Former interim UFC welterweight champion, Colby Covington has doubled down on his recent threats to long-time UFC play-by-play lead, Jon Anik, warning the latter from “coming at the king”. Covington, the current #2 ranked welterweight challenger and a former interim champion under the promotion’s banner, recently made much-criticized threats to UFC commentator, Anik, claiming that […]

Former interim UFC welterweight champion, Colby Covington has doubled down on his recent threats to long-time UFC play-by-play lead, Jon Anik, warning the latter from “coming at the king”.

Covington, the current #2 ranked welterweight challenger and a former interim champion under the promotion’s banner, recently made much-criticized threats to UFC commentator, Anik, claiming that he did not want to see the latter’s children grow up without their father, accusing Anik of taking sides with fellow welterweight contender, Belal Muhammad, accusing him of racism to boot.

Colby Covington expected to fight Leon Edwards at UFC 291 in July

Expected to make his Octagon return this summer, Covington has been pegged to challenge for undisputed welterweight gold against current undisputed champion, Leon Edwards – with reports confirming the promotion are “aiming” to headline a UFC 291 card on July 22. – targeted for London, England, with a title fight featuring Edwards and Covington.

And despite receiving flak from Anik’s podcast guest and Serra-Longo MMA head coach, Ray Longo for his comments, in which he urged Covington to drop his “act” – the Clovis native warned Anik away from taking proverbial sides in the future.
“Mike (Michael Bisping), you know like, I guess Jon (Anik) found out that the stove can be really hoyt, maybe you shouldn’t touch it,” Colby Covington said on Believe You Me. “So, you know, I tell everybody the same thing, when the train’s coming through, you know, you better get off the tracks or you’re gonna get run over… no one’s safe in this business Mike, like everyone that wants to comment and drag me down, they don’t know what I’ve been through.”

“They don’t know how hard I work every day… if you come for the king, the king’s gonna have to have a response,” Colby Covington explained. (Transcribed by MMANews)

Predicting a victory over Birmingham native, Edwards later this year, Covington claimed he would beat the undisputed welterweight champion “from pillar to post” in their planned championship clash.

Leon Edwards opens as betting underdog ahead of expected UFC 291 title fight with Colby Covington

Expected to fight former interim welterweight title challenger, Colby Covington this summer in an undisputed championship clash – current division kingpin, Leon Edwards has opened as quite the betting underdog for the clash, despite riding a stunning, division-best 12-fight undefeated streak. Edwards, the current undisputed UFC welterweight title challenger, most recently featured in the main […]

Edwards, the current undisputed UFC welterweight title challenger, most recently featured in the main event of UFC 286 earlier this month in a London, England homecoming, defeating common-foe, Kamaru Usman in the pair’s trilogy title rubber match, beating the Auchi native in a close, majority decision win to defend his crown.

Covington, who clinch interim welterweight spoils back in 2018, has been sidelined since returning to the winner’s enclosure back in March of last year at UFC 272, beating former training partner and multiple-time title challenger, Jorge Masvidal in a one-sided unanimous judging success.

This week, reports emerged detailing how the UFC, who are reportedly targeting July 22. to host a pay-per-view event; UFC 291 in London, England – were aiming to book an undisputed welterweight title showdown between Edwards and Covington for the card.

And in the wake of the report, markets have opened on a potential fight between Edwards and the outspoken, Covington. In what may come as a surprise to some, current champion, Edwards has opened as a +105 betting underdog against Covington – who sits as a -125 favorite at the time of publication. If you fancy wagering on the expected title fight, most sportsbooks offer considerable outright bets and order prop bets on mixed martial arts events and fights to boot.

Winning undisputed gold back in August of last atop a UFC 278 flagship card in Utah, Birmingham native, Edwards managed to turn around a 3-1 round deficit against the above-mentioned, Usman, stopping the then-pound-for-pound number one with a devastating fifth round high kick KO.

Suffering both a fifth round TKO loss and a rematch decision loss to former champion, Usman in his pursuit of undisputed welterweight gold, Covington defeated former undisputed lightweight champion, Rafael dos Anjos in June 2018 to win his own interim division throne.

Despite calling for a showdown with Edwards at UFC 290 during International Fight Week in July of this year, it appears Covington – who has predicted he will beat the Briton from “pillar to post” – will have to have to settle for a trip to enemy territory two weeks later.

“Leon (Edwards), man, you need to stop hiding,” Colby Covington said. “You need to come out here and defend your f*cking country, and prove you’re a real champion. If you’re a real champion, you’ll beat anybody. So come get it, Leon – I’m waiting for you Leon Scott (sic).”

“I beat him from pillar to post,” Colby Covington explained. “I beat him everywhere. I’m a better wrestler, a better striker, [I’ve got] better Jiu-Jitsu, you know, my cardio – he can’t hang [with me]. He slows down in fights, you know, those last couple of rounds he definitely – he’ll come out hard and he’ll throw, fifty-sixty kicks, fifty-sixty punches, but then his volume changes. So I will wear him out, Michael (Bisping), and I will break him. I’ll break his will, and you will see that. That’s why he’s not selling the fight.”