Leon Edwards Gives Disappointing Update Regarding Next UFC Title Defense

Getty Leon Edwards

Current UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards has been linked to a potential July return, but he revealed in a recent interview that he won’t be back inside the Octagon until later this year.

UFC president Dana White has said Colby Covington is next up for Edwards, and “Chaos” wants to fight during International Fight Week in July. Also, White revealed at a recent press conference that he was working on bringing the Octagon back to Edward’s home country by way of London in July – lining up two big dates for “Rocky.”

But, considering Edwards defended his 170-pound strap against Kamaru Usman less than a month ago at UFC 286, he told MMA Fighting that he needs to take care of his body before he can engage in another fight camp.  Instead, he’s eyeing October as a suitable date for his second title defense.

“July is 100-percent too soon,” Edwards said. “I fought in March, just under a month ago, and I’m still dealing with injuries and stuff that I had to deal with before I even consider getting back into a training camp. If I’m fighting in July, that means I’m going back into training camp next week, and that’s just not possible.

“I will look toward the back end of the year. I would love to do Abu Dhabi in October. I think that would be a great time frame for me to compete, but there’s actually no clear No. 1 contender. There’s no one actually out there that’s actually earned it. There’s guys coming off two losses, one win. There’s guys that [have] one win, one loss. It’s a difficult time in the welterweight division. So now I’ve just got to look towards business. I will sit back, talk to the UFC, talk to my team and see what’s best.”

Edwards Still Doesn’t Understand Why Covington Is Receiving His Third Championship Opportunity

Since the UFC president announced Covington on the same night Rocky earned his second-straight win over Usman, Edwards has dismissed Chaos. He doesn’t believe Covington’s recent work inside the cage — a unanimous decision win over Jorge Masvidal and a second defeat to Usman for the 170-pound belt — is enough to warrant the controversial combatant a third crack at gold.

“It’s weird — I don’t know why he’s getting pushed so much,” Edwards said. “He’s coming off two losses to the guy that I just currently beat [in Kamaru Usman], and then went and beat a guy in Masvidal that’s just retired, and now sat out for over a year. Turned down Gilbert [Burns], turned down Khamzat [Chimaev], turned down Belal [Muhammad], and then come back to a title shot? It’s weird. It’s something that I’ve never seen before.

“When I was going through the pandemic, having fight cancellations, Khamzat pulled out twice, I pulled out once, Masvidal pulled out, all these fights falling through — I got removed from the rankings for that, even though it was out of my control and wasn’t my fault. I got removed out of the rankings.

“For a guy to be fit and healthy, [sit] on the sidelines, turn down three or four fights and then say he wants to fight for the title, it doesn’t make sense. I feel like they should do it like I did it. Just shut up and fight. I earned my position. I worked for it. But these guys want handouts and freebies, and that’s not the way it works.”

Edwards Said He Has Yet to Be Formally Offered the Covington Fight

Edwards told the outlet that he hasn’t received a contract to fight Covington. In fact, he said “the UFC hasn’t even spoke to us. There’s no talks of that fight happening.”

Covington said in a recent interview with Submission Radio that the UFC told him they’d strip Edwards of the welterweight belt if he doesn’t show up for a match in July — something Edwards refuted.

“There’s no stripping here,” he said. “I am willing to fight whoever, whenever, as long as they deserve it and the time frame is right.”