Leon Edwards is a name that has been rising in the MMA world for years now. The British fighter has worked his way up the ranks, going on a ten-fight undefeated streak before he faced Kamaru Usman at UFC 278. It was an epic showdown, but Edwards emerged victorious, knocking out Usman in the fifth round.
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Edwards then defended his title against Usman again, this time winning via decision. However, just before the fight, UFC President Dana White had announced that Colby Covington would fight for the title next. Edwards, however, had other ideas. He said that he wanted to choose his next opponent and that he would not be facing Covington. Edwards‘ decision to not fight Covington has been met with some criticism.
Chael Sonnen talked about Leon Edwards not fighting Colby Covington
Many felt that Edwards was not showing the kind of sportsmanship that is expected of a champion. Recently, former MMA fighter and analyst Chael Sonnen weighed in on the matter. In a video, Sonnen said that the MMA community had supported Edwards throughout his journey to becoming the champion and should return the favor.
“We all got behind him, we all supported him for that”, Sonnen said. “But now that he’s in the spot, he doesn’t want to return the favor much like Jon Jones who fought no one for three years and now wants to fight every three seconds and acts like he’s a good company guy for doing it”, he added.
Sonnen went on to compare Edwards to Jon Jones, another fighter who had faced criticism for his reluctance to fight certain opponents. He said that Edwards was now in a position where he could return the favor to the MMA community by taking on all challengers.
Who is Leon Edwards going to face next?
Despite Dana White’s announcement about Covington being next in line for a title match, Edwards seems to have other plans. After his win against Usman, he said that he wanted to face Jorge Masvidal next if Masvidal won his UFC 287 fight against Gilbert Burns.
According to Edwards, Covington does not deserve a shot at the title because he has been inactive for the past few years.
Indeed, there are many other capable contenders for the welterweight title. It will be interesting to see who challenges Edwards for the title next. Will it be Masvidal? Will it be Covington? Or will it be any other welterweight? Only time will tell.
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