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‘He’ll Never Be a Champion in the UFC’- Leon Edwards Gives His Honest Thoughts on a Kamaru Usman-Jorge Masvidal Rematch

Published 02/17/2021, 7:59 AM EST

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Leon Edwards is currently looking for an opponent to stay on the UFC Fight Night card on March 13 after his proposed bout against Khamzat Chimaev got canceled for the third time in recent months.

‘Rocky’ is currently on an 8-fight winning streak in the UFC welterweight division and is pursuing a shot at the undisputed gold.

Champion Kamaru Usman defeated Gilbert Burns at UFC 258 and called out Jorge Masvidal, granting ‘Gamebred’ another shot at him. He raised many eyebrows because of that, as he has already defeated Masvidal at UFC 251. However, Edwards understands that considering Masvidal’s star status at the moment, Usman’s callout makes perfect sense.

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Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Edwards said, “I think Usman beats him 10 out of 10 times. I just don’t think Masvidal is a championship fighter. I think he’s a good fighter, good contender, but he’ll never be a champion in the UFC…. Usman is probably thinking about the money, right? Easy work for high payday.”

Masvidal stepped up on a 6-day notice at UFC 251 to face Usman as the main event of the first pay-per-view in UFC Fight Island was in jeopardy. But that pay-per-view went to be as the second-most sold UFC event of 2020. Certainly, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ had his eye on the numbers.

Masvidal is currently on an all-time high. So, it’s smart for Usman to have another fight against him, as it will ensure a big pay-day for sure.

Is Leon Edwards right in his judgment of Jorge Masvidal?

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Gamebred‘ is a true veteran of the sport. He has previously challenged for the Strikeforce lightweight championship against Gilbert Melendez, but UFC 251 was his first opportunity to fight for the UFC gold. He is certainly a championship-caliber fighter, and his career reaffirms that.

via Imago

However, his backstage altercation against Edwards in 2019 might have played a part in ‘Rocky’s words. The Brit should currently concentrate on getting an opponent and staying active. He hasn’t competed since July 2019. So, instead of taking shots at other contenders, he first needs to get his work cut out. He will get his rematch against Usman too, if he can get a good win over a top contender.

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What did you make of Leon Edwards’s words? Are his claims valid? Whom should ‘Rocky’ fight next?

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Written by:

Apratim Banerjee

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Apratim Banerjee is an MMA author for EssentiallySports and has been writing professionally for almost a year. Before his current gig, Apratim worked as a UFC writer for Sportskeeda. A long-time MMA fan, Apratim has developed a critical eye for the sport that has helped him transfer his vast knowledge to his copies and give hardcore and casual readers a detailed insight into the fights and fighters.
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