Leon Edwards earned a decision win over Nate Diaz at UFC 263. However, Edwards’s fellow welterweight contender, Gilbert Burns, believes ‘Rocky’ blew his shot at the UFC gold with his performance. ‘Durinho’ thinks Edwards played the point game too much instead of gunning for a finish against Diaz.

“I think Leon Edwards lost the shot just because he didn’t get a finish. He wasn’t hungry. Not even criticizing the guy. I think he fought very good. He’s a very smart fighter. But he’s not a finisher. If you go all day and sometimes just, as they say, bite the mouthpiece, and go forward, and finish the fight, sometimes you’re gonna get the shot,” said Burns.

“But if you just kinda point-fight, winning the fight, that’s good for you. You make more money, you’re changing contracts, you’re getting better, getting famous. But at the end of the day, the real fans, the real guys, the crazy guy with the ‘Just Bleed,’ those are the real fans. And they want to see violence. They want to see a finish. They go crazy when someone does a crazy knockout. And I just think he lost the shot (with) that performance,” Burns added. (H/T MMA News)

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Nate Diaz hits back at Gilbert Burns

Those comments from Burns took Diaz‘s attention. He took time to respond to the former welterweight title challenger. “He would’ve got knocked out like when u faught hooker and usman you got ur hungry A** slept Amateur,” wrote Diaz.

Diaz had Edwards rocked badly during the final seconds of the fifth round. The Stockton native landed a slap and punch combo on the Brit, wobbling him. Many believe Diaz would have gotten the finish if time was on his side. But unfortunately, he had very little time to work on it. So, despite trying, Diaz eventually couldn’t get Edwards out.

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Now, with Diaz and Burns going back-and-forth, the situation at the 170 lbs division of the UFC has become much more interesting. What the UFC has planned for Diaz next, remains to be seen.