‘That Guy is a Freaking Coward’- Gilbert Burns Slams Leon Edwards for Turning Down Jorge Masvidal

Published 10/08/2021, 1:11 AM EDT

UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns sat down with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto and went over some breaking news that came out in his division. Long-standing rivals, Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards were seemingly on course to finally fight each other and settle their score. However, Edwards recently came out and said that he wasn’t keen to fight Masvidal who is on a two-fight skid.

Burns reacted to the news of Edwards turning down Masvidal and it’s safe to say he wasn’t impressed. Chiefly, ‘Rocky’ Edwards was ambushed backstage at UFC London in 2019 by Masvidal in a street brawl-style altercation. Burns believes that Edwards should have used the opportunity to fight Masvidal and exact revenge for the ‘Three-piece and a soda’ incident.

“I think stylistically it’s a good fight for Leon Edwards and 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 is a freaking coward.”

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“The way I see in Brazil, in the streets, if I tell my friends, my coach and my guys in Brazil, ‘Man that guy beat me on the street and they run, Now they offered the fight and I say ‘No’. Bro, they’re gonna bully me. They’re gonna talk so much sh*t like it’s not real. In Brazil, people don’t respect him for sure if you do that.”

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What’s next for Leon Edwards if not Masvidal?

The Englishman is running out of options in terms of high-ranked opponents to fight. Additionally, it doesn’t seem likely that he’s getting a title shot anytime soon. ‘Rocky’ is not a major trash talker, and he isn’t projected to sell many tickets at the box office for a pay-per-view title fight.

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It’s for this reason that the MMA community speculates that Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington have had two cracks at the champion each. Masvidal and Covington are comparatively massive PPV draws and the UFC is looking after their bottom line.

If Edwards chooses to look past Masvidal who is currently on a skid, he may be out of action for a long time. He could take a fight against a rather stylistically unfavorable opponent in Gilbert Burns and risk the possibility of losing his shot.

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Read this story: Top 5 Biggest Rivalries in the History of the UFC

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Darryl Pinto is a senior MMA writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree in Mass Media (with a specialization in Journalism) out of Xavier’s College and has a year's experience in his current role. Darryl specializes in predictions, reporting, and covering UFC events live.

‘That Guy is a Freaking Coward’- Gilbert Burns Slams Leon Edwards for Turning Down Jorge Masvidal

What’s next for Leon Edwards if not Masvidal?

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