Jorge Masvidal wants to give Leon Edwards an opportunity for payback stemming from their prior run-in in England, but with the stakes as high as they can be.
Edwards, who stunned Kamaru Usman and the MMA world with a comeback head-kick knockout for the ages in the final minute at UFC 278 to win the welterweight title, and Masvidal have had a rivalry ever since their viral “three piece and a soda incident” backstage at UFC London in March 2019, but haven’t had the chance to actually settle their score inside of the octagon.
With Edwards winning the title, and Masvidal currently without a dance partner, “Gamebred” provided a message to the current 170-pound champ.
“Leon, f****** step up to the plate, bro,” Masvidal told MMA Fighting following iKON FC 5. You cried and begged, but you did it all before I was fighting for my title. Now, we can go. I never dodged this f*** because when I wasn’t fighting Leon, I was fighting the guy who had the belt. The guy [ranked] No. was my opponent. 1.
“So if Leon wants it, I’m here, but he’d rather be drinking tea, eating fish and chips and s***, I don’t know.”
On Saturday, Edwards was made aware of Masvidal’s challenge and took to social media, where he issued his response.
refer to me as “Mr Edwards” or “Sir” and get on your knees and beg and I may consider it https://t.co/fr6o0OsygT
— Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) October 15, 2022
Masvidal responded to Edwards’ reply and made it clear that he wanted to take revenge on Edwards for the moment that has been the talk of UFC for the last three years. while making a potential hefty paycheck in the process.
I’ve never gotten on my knees and begged anyone for anything. It doesn’t matter if your life is all about getting down on your knees to obtain stuff. Accept the fight. Get your payday. It’s a no brainer dummy #itoldyou
— BMF.eth (@GamebredFighter) October 16, 2022
Masvidal is currently on a three-fight skid, with those losses coming to — at the time — the two best welterweights in the world in Usman and Colby Covington. Many fans have stated that the 37-year-old hasn’t earned the right and doesn’t “deserve” a third opportunity to fight for the UFC welterweight title.
With 51 pro fights under his belt, Masvidal may try and understand where the fans are coming from, he also knows that a precedent was set by the UFC in the past that could put this fight together — whether it’s the meritocratic way, or not.
” I don’t take anything to heart,” Masvidal stated. “I definitely think I deserve it, and just from the money side of it, we definitely deserve it. From the fan side of it, we definitely deserve it. I want to fight Leon. They might say I don’t deserve it, but they would still raise their hands in the dark, in quiet, and say, ‘I want to see that fight. So I disagree with them.
“[Dan Henderson] had beat [Michael] Bisping, and when Bisping was champion — and I think Hendo was similar to me, he wasn’t even in the top 10 at the time and they just dropped my ranking as well — they brought ‘Hendo’ in there, in England, gave [Bisping] a tough fight. The fight ended in five rounds. Bisping was victorious in England. But that’s just the beginning of a tale. This fight, if it has one, has a f ****** video between me and his face. That’s f ****** English, f ***.
“Why not just give the fans what they want? If I didn’t deserve it, or fans didn’t want it, why is everyone just talking about this? It’s always about Leon against me in England
As far as Edwards’ championship victory, Masvidal said the result wasn’t as shocking in his eyes as it was to most other people, even telling MMA Fighting prior to the fight that an Edwards finish wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. Masvidal thought Edwards’ punch across Usman’s face in Salt Lake City could have been a sign.
“It’s like God told it to me in my dreams,” Masvidal told MMA Fighting. “So what does that mean? That hopefully I’m kicking Leon’s ass soon then get back in front of Usman, get back in front of everybody.
“But I don’t know what’s happening right now. Leon’s getting a little cold feet, I don’t know what it is. He doesn’t want to lose in England again to me. My phone calls .”
are ignored by him.
