Leon Edwards argues Jorge Masvidal doesn’t deserve title shot

By Tom Taylor - July 17, 2019

When Jorge Masvidal knocked former Bellator and ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren out in five seconds at UFC 239, he cemented himself as one of the top contenders in the UFC welterweight division — perhaps even the top contender outright. Yet rising British contender Leon Edwards, who fights Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of UFC San Antonio this weekend, doesn’t believe Masvidal has earned a title shot just yet.

Leon Edwards

“I never held Askren in high regard anyway,” Edwards told MMA Fighting, downplaying Masvidal’s victory. “He just shouted his mouth off the get to where he’s at. He’s an amateur on the feet, I’ve watched him hit pads and it’s weird; even his shots are slow. He came in, he talked his way up into the position he was in and then he dipped his head into a knee.

“It’s madness, really,” he added. “I don’t know where all of this title talk is coming from. Just two fights ago he was on a two-fight losing streak, he was probably gonna get cut from the UFC. I think the title talk is nonsense. It’s madness, but f*ck it, it is what it is.”

Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal, of course, are not exactly on good terms. The pair have exchanged plenty of trash talk and actually came to blows backstage at UFC London earlier this year.

Edwards says that, whether its regulated or not, he plans on fighting Masvidal.

“I’d be happy with a straightener [fist fight] in the park,” he said of the fight. “Bring him over to Texas and we can get it straight after the fight. We need to fight.”

Leon Edwards will enter his UFC San Antonio fight with Rafael dos Anjos on a seven-fight win streak highlighted by triumphs over Donald Cerrone and Gunnar Nelson.

Who do you think would win a fight between Masvidal and Edwards?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 7/17/2019.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


Topics:

Jorge Masvidal Leon Edwards UFC