White Assures Edwards He Is Not Welterweight Division’s ‘Red-Headed Stepchild’

Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports

Surging welterweight contender Leon Edwards doesn’t believe he’s getting the love he deserves, but Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White is here to assure “Rocky” that he is an intricate part of the promotion’s plans.

Edwards, who is riding a fabulous eight-fight win streak, was expected to get the fight of his career when he was scheduled to take on former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley this past March at UFC London. Unfortunately for the English fighter, COVID-19 restrictions nipped that matchup in the bud and Woodley went on to lose to Gilbert Burns this past weekend at UFC on ESPN 9 (highlights HERE).

With Burns on the rise, and current contenders Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal seemingly a bigger draw among fans, Edwards isn’t quite sure where he fits in. Just this past week “Rocky” took to Twitter to question the current UFC welterweight rankings.

“How’s a guy coming off 2 back to back dominating loses above me,” he wrote.

The 28-year-old fighter knows he’s one of the best welterweights in the world, but will he get to prove it? The answer is yes

“He’s definitely not the red-headed stepchild,” said White during a recent interview with celebrity personality Steve-O. “We were going to do that fight when the pandemic started. We were still going to go to London and do that fight, but the pandemic came and we were dealing with that bull(expletive). He’s definitely not the red-headed stepchild. We see him, he’s ranked No. 4 in the world and there’s some fun options for him.”

If White and company do plan on utilizing Edwards’ current win streak and overall striking prowess atop the 170-pound class, then who will he fight next?

The UFC president isn’t quite sure, but it’s certainly going to be against one of the top dogs.

“You got Colby Covington, you got Jorge Masvidal, you got Leon Edwards and now obviously you’ve got Gilbert Burns,” White said. “The reality is, we’re going to reach out tomorrow and say: Who wants the next fight? Who wants this fight? Who is ready to go? Who wants to fight Usman? If it’s Masvidal, Edwards or Burns.”

Of course, Edwards would love to fight current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman for the undisputed title, but that’s unlikely given the champ’s ongoing beef with Masvidal and Covington. Instead, Edwards would be a perfect test for the rising Burns in a matchup this summer.

The only thing that matters to “Rocky” is having his next Octagon win lead to his first ever UFC title shot, which was guaranteed earlier this year.

What say you, Maniacs? Who do you see Edwards fighting next? And if he wins, does he get a shot at the belt?

Let’s hear it!