Home

UFC

‘Scared to Say My Name’- Leon Edwards Ready to Face Jorge Masvidal at UFC Return

Published 08/20/2021, 7:48 AM EDT

Follow Us

via Imago

UFC welterweight elites, Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal’s rivalry, turned into an intensely personal one after they clashed in a backstage brawl in March 2019 in London’s O2 Arena. The arena hosted UFC Fight Night: Till vs Masvidal, where Masvidal knocked out Darren Till, and Edwards won a split decision over Gunnar Nelson.

via Getty

At the event, Masvidal, who was giving a backstage interview to ESPN’s Laura Sanko, confronted Leon Edwards. The latter apparently said something that made Masvidal approach him in between the interview. Later, as things got heated, the two men threw fists at each other. This gave birth to the now-famous ‘3 pieces and a soda’ boxing combo.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Masvidal, who last fought Kamaru Usman for the welterweight gold, is looking to get back into the title picture. In a recent interview given to BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani, the BMF champ proclaimed, “Get me the fight that gets me the fastest and closest to the title shot. Who is the highest-ranked, most dangerous fight? Tell me who it is and put a price on their head.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Top 5 best fights in the history of UFC women’s division

In a response to the man with whom he has a score to settle, Edwards took to Twitter and invited him for a fight. He also mocked ‘Gamebred’ and wrote, “You know who it is. Scared to say my name.”

Leon Edwards is looking for a title shot

Edwards, currently on a 10 fight undefeated streak, has been knocking on the doors of the title shot. With Kamaru Usman heading into a rematch with Colby Covington at UFC 268, ‘Rocky’ may think he is next in line to challenge the winner. He has two options. Either he could wait for the winner or face Masvidal.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

BREAKING: Nina Nunes to Return to UFC Action in December

If he waits, he would compete with other fighters for the title challenge. But if he fights and picks up a victory over ‘Gamebred’, he could find himself as the frontrunner for the title. There are other options as well- former title challenger Gilbert Burns has also thrown a challenge towards him.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest UFC stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Given the styles and the personal beef with Masvidal, ‘Rocky’ may prefer the BMF champion over ‘Durinho’. Either way, he knows he needs at least one more win to cement his place on the opposite side of the champion in a fight.

What did you make of Edwards’ response to Masvidal? Let us know.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Akshyay Srichandan Mahapatra

552Articles

One take at a time

Akshyay Mahapatra is a UFC author for EssentiallySports. He wished to combine his passion for the UFC (that he has been following since 2008) as well as his love for writing. This motivated him to enter the world of combat sports journalism.
Show More>