UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards has not let time diminish his immense dislike for Jorge Masvidal. Although Edwards has since claimed the UFC welterweight title, and Masvidal is riding a three-fight losing streak, “Rocky” told The Breakfast Club that he is far from cordial when it comes to “Gamebred”.
“Not with him. Not with Masvidal, that’s what it is, that’s beef. I don’t like him. We had a scuffle backstage, we threw a few shots. That was in London, my hometown.
Edwards Wants Revenge on Masvidal “in the Octagon or in the Street”
But they took him and moved him and hid him and he fled my country and I haven’t seen him since. That was three years ago.”
Masvidal and Edwards had an infamous run-in backstage at UFC London in 2019. Their backstage confrontation got physical, and Masvidal threw hands at Edwards, an incident the Miami-based fighter later referred to as a “three-piece and soda”. The incident, along with Masvidal’s landmark knockout wins over Darren Till and Ben Askren, catapulted him to stardom.
This earned Masvidal two consecutive title shots against Kamaru Usman, who defeated him handily both times, while Leon Edwards waited on the sidelines despite an almost decade-long winning streak. Ultimately, it was Edwards who dispatched Usman, knocking the “Nigerian Nightmare” out with a head kick in the final round of their fight.
Despite the years since, Leon Edwards simply cannot let the backstage altercation go. “I can’t let it go. This was, like, three years ago. I have to get it back either in the Octagon or on the street.”
Leon Edwards’ first title defense has yet to be confirmed. The most likely scenario is an immediate rematch for Kamaru Usman, which Edwards expects to be in front of a home crowd in London.
“I’m excited for that. To headline in the U.K. Sixty thousand people trying to get into a stadium show. It’s going to be big. I’m excited. This is the third time around. He beat me the first time by points and I knocked him out the second time. Now we’re going back home on my turf and my backyard.”
If Usman does not get the immediate rematch with Edwards, the UFC may capitalize on another grudge match for Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal’s last Octagon outing saw him face former best friend and current nemesis Colby Covington, which Covington dominated. Masvidal later attacked Covington outside a Miami steakhouse, and will face charges in court.
Do you think we’ll see Edwards vs Masvidal in the Octagon, or will “Gamebred” take the fight to the streets once more? Let us know in the comments.
