Jorge Masvidal wants Leon Edwards fight after UFC 287
Despite having a three-fight losing streak and being ranked No. 11 in his division, Jorge Masvidal is making his case to be Leon Edwards’ next opponent. The “King of Miami” will headline UFC 287 against Gilbert Burns, the No. 5-ranked UFC welterweight, in Miami this weekend.
Burns is an extremely formidable opponent — one that should not be overlooked by Masvidal or anyone. If Masvidal can pull off another highlight reel type of performance as he has before though, he will find himself back in the picture of title contention.
Edwards, the current welterweight champion, is expected to fight Colby Covington in his next title defense. Masvidal believes a convincing win this weekend will change that, though; the potential of a fight between Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal is one that UFC fans have wanted for years.
“I’m fighting Gilbert, then I’m fighting Leon,” Masvidal told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’m telling you that’s how it’s going to play out. I just got some insider information.
“I’m eager to get in there with Gilbert and utterly dismantle him to the point that everybody is begging for me to go and fight Leon,” Masvidal said. “I know Leon’s not an idiot. He’s already fought before and defended the title and stuff, and he knows what a guy like me brings to the table besides the added beef that we have and the amount of pay-per-views we can generate together fighting for that title. I think it’s epic. It’s a movie ending for me and everybody involved with me.”
Full quotes via MMA Junkie.
The two fighters infamously had a scuffle backstage in 2019 at UFC Fight Night 147. A championship bout between Edwards and Masvidal would be very compelling and easily marketable for the UFC. Both fighters come from striking backgrounds which stylistically makes the fight more compelling to a casual fan. Both fighters have also faced wrestling-heavy opponents in their most recent fights. A fight between Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards has the components to potentially be one of the best title fights in UFC history.
Does Masvidal Deserve a Title shot before Covington?
The UFC managed to avoid revealing that Colby Covington was the backup fighter for Edwards vs. Usman at UFC 286. Dana White stated that Covington’s the next fighter in line for a title shot 170 pounds. While this makes sense on paper, no formal announcement has been made for a fight between Edwards and Covington. The timing of the matchup between Burns and Masvidal probably is a part of the reason.
Both Covington and Masvidal have not fought since they fought each other over a year ago. Colby won a unanimous decision after an intensely personal build-up to the fight — so much so that Covington was allegedly attacked by Masvidal and his crew outside a Miami steakhouse.
The main event of UFC 287 between Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns will determine a lot. Fans would love to see Masvidal leapfrog Covington to a title shot despite previously losing to his nemesis. Or it could potentially set up a No. 1 contender rematch between Masvidal and Covington. The future of the welterweight division is still very much up in the air and currently has more questions than answers. UFC 287 will hopefully answer some of them.
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