Getty Did Jorge Masvidal just acquire his next target?
UFC welterweight star Jorge Masvidal believes he’s on his way to fighting again before the end of the year and a recent post on social media suggests the UFC’s “BMF” champion might be eyeing Leon Edwards as his next opponent. In that post, Masvidal alluded to the viral backstage run-in the two stars had back in 2019 at a UFC event in London.
He posted, “Say it to my face…”.
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Phrase Was Callback to Masvidal vs. Edwards in London
“Say it to my face” is the same phrase Masvidal used in his backstage brawl with Edwards two years ago.
Masvidal had been interrupted by Edwards as he was giving an interview to ESPN. Masvidal walked over to Edwards with his hands behind his back. After that, Masvidal threw a combination of punches he later referred to as a “three-piece with a soda”.
You can watch that stunning moment below.
Per USA Today, Masvidal said he told Edwards in that moment, who had been walking away as he was talking to Masvidal, to say whatever he was saying to his face.
He said, “So I tell him, ‘Just say it to my face like a man.’ You’re saying it walking away. We’re both men, you know… You’re just a loser in life. You’re not going to get a hit off me. So I gave him the three-piece with a soda, and then just glide out of there.”
The two stars would seem to have unfinished business because of that dustup, but they haven’t been paired to fight yet.
That could be changing soon.
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Both UFC Stars Need Fights
Masvidal is coming off two straight losses to UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. While Masvidal went the distance on short notice at UFC 251 in July 2020, Usman knocked out Masvidal in the rematch at UFC 261 in April 2021.
Meanwhile, Edwards is coming off a five-round decision win over UFC superstar Nate Diaz at UFC 263. That made it nine straight victories for Edwards, but Edwards still isn’t next in line for a shot at the title.
According to UFC president Dana White, Umsan will face Colby Covington next. That fight hasn’t been formally announced yet, but most pundits expect it to happen before the end of the year.
So Usman facing Covington next means Edwards is without a dance partner. That could lead to the UK star taking his next best option: Masvidal.
While Masvidal isn’t the 170-pound champ, he is one of the most popular superstars in the sport.
In that way, Edwards would again be taking on the same kind of road he took in facing Diaz. It makes sense because it’s a big fight, and it helps to shine a bright light on Edwards that otherwise wouldn’t be there.
That would especially be the case if Edwards simply chose to sit out and wait for his title shot.
Besides, Edwards might still have something to prove inside the Octagon, at least according to Masvidal.
The American recently told the media he doesn’t see anything all that special about Edwards even after seeing him beat Diaz.
He said per MMA Junkie, “He keeps asking for more money and more things, but he’s not a finisher, he’s not a fighter. He was winning happily and he wasn’t willing to put himself at risk to go out there and get those finishes, that’s why I don’t think he’s in the position he wants to be. He’s not going out there and fighting every second of every minute. He’s a very skilled guy, but he just doesn’t have that grit in him, that meanness to go out there and beat a top contender the way he should.”
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