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UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards says he wasn’t surprised by Jorge Masvidal’s recent withdrawal from their scheduled fight at UFC 269 Live Today.
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Edwards, of England, told ESPN he’d heard some concerning things about Masvidal’s camp prior to his withdrawal and he doesn’t believe Masvidal ever wanted the fight at all.
“I knew he was going to,” Edwards said. “I heard some news coming back that he was looking a bit fat, he was looking chubby still. I didn’t think he was training for it to be honest. I always knew he was going to run away. It’s been three years since the incident in London and he’s been dodging me ever since.”
UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell told ESPN last week that Masvidal withdrew from the bout with an undisclosed injury. The former two-time welterweight title challenger has not commented on the injury publicly.
Edwards (19-3) said he’s inquired about Masvidal’s condition, but hasn’t received any additional details. “I believe he’s a fraud and he’s doing what he needs to get out of the fight,” Edwards said. “He knows that once he loses to me, where does he go?”
There’s been a high level of interest in a matchup between Edwards and Masvidal (35-15) ever since a backstage scuffle in 2019 in London. Masvidal approached Edwards after they each won their respective bouts at a UFC Fight Night and hit him with a “three-piece and a soda” combination that immediately went viral.
Edwards said he doesn’t envision a scenario in which a fight makes sense in the future, and added he believes Masvidal, 37, will retire from the sport in 2022.
The UFC has not announced any future plans for Edwards or its defending welterweight champion in Usman, but Edwards said he believes he has the support of the promotion to vie for the title next. Edwards fought Usman once already back in 2015 and lost via unanimous decision. He has not lost since.
“I feel [the UFC] sees it,” Edwards said. “They now believe I am well-deserving. There is no one else for Usman to fight. I’m the guy saying ‘yes’ all the time. I’m the guy fighting. I feel the promotion and I am on the same page, let’s say that.”
Usman (20-1) is coming off his fifth title defense in a span of less than three years. He has finished three of his last five wins by knockout, but Edwards believes fans will see a different version of Usman when they meet again.
“Usman definitely fell in love with his hands,” Edwards said. “He definitely believes in them. He’s calling out [boxing world champion Canelo Alvarez]. He truly believes that he’s some sick striker. Fair play to him, but I know when we fight, he’ll be shooting for his takedowns. I don’t think it will be a striking match. I think it will be more wrestler versus striker. I’m looking forward to it.”
Jorge Masvidal injured; fight with Leon Edwards off for UFC 269
Next month’s highly anticipated welterweight fight between Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards is off, UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell told ESPN on Wednesday.
Per Campbell, Masvidal (35-15) was forced to withdraw from the UFC 269 bout on Dec. 11 because of an undisclosed injury. There was no update on whether Edwards (19-3) will remain on the card, or if the matchup will be rescheduled. Campbell did not specify a time frame on Masvidal’s return.
The welterweight fight was arguably going to be the highest-profile bout on the Las Vegas card. Masvidal and Edwards were involved in a backstage altercation in March 2019, when Masvidal struck Edwards in the face. The Miami native famously dubbed the punches he threw as a “three-piece and a soda.”
Masvidal is coming off back-to-back losses to defending champion Kamaru Usman in title fights. Edwards, of England, is still looking for his first UFC title shot. He is on a nine-fight win streak. A lightweight title bout between Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier is scheduled to headline the UFC 269 pay-per-view.
Eventually, someone’s got to give the GOAT a push, right?
Amanda Nunes has reached consensus status as the preeminent female mixed martial artist of all time, establishing a win streak that comprises 12 fights, stretches across seven years and includes simultaneous reigns as the UFC’s queen of both the bantamweight and featherweight divisions.
She’s gone the distance just four times in that run and is coming off a March win over Megan Anderson in defense of the 135-pound belt at UFC 259 that lasted just 123 seconds from start to finish.
Think you’ve got a shot at derailing that Hall of Fame express?
Julianna Pena does. In fact, she’s suggesting it’ll be anything but the romp the champ has become accustomed to.
“I’m not guaranteeing anything other than she is not gonna be in some fight where it’s gonna go a minute and it’s gonna be this gigantic blowout. Absolutely not,” Pena told the Jim Varsallone of the Miami Herald. “It’s going to be a very long night for both of us, and I’m expecting a long, tough, grueling fight.
A 32-year-old native of Spokane, Washington, Pena competed for multiple promotions before arriving to the UFC as part of The Ultimate Fighter competition in 2013. She won the tournament and was unbeaten in four straight bouts through 2016 before a submission loss to Valentina Shevchenko in a 2017 match.
Subsequent wins over Nicco Montano and Sara McMann have sandwiched another submission loss, this time to Germaine de Randamie, since the start of 2019.
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