Gilbert Burns is officially next for UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. However, the matchup wasn’t the UFC’s first choice, according to his fellow 170-pound contender Leon Edwards.
In a tweet issued Tuesday, Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) claimed the UFC offered him a fight with Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC), which he turned down. The UFC then offered the opportunity to Burns (19-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) who accepted the July 11 matchup at UFC 251.
Edwards did not elaborate on the specifics of why he turned down the fight but indicated confidence in his decision.
“For those asking, yes I got offered the shot before Gilbert,” Edwards wrote. “We couldn’t make it work this time. 2020 has been tough for me on this side of the world, as it has been for (a lot) of people, but (expletive) it, you can’t stop what is inevitable.”
In a follow-up tweet, Edwards vowed to get obtain the title in the future.
“The strap will be mine,” Edwards wrote. “Continue to stay safe everybody.”
Edwards, 28, is riding an eight-fight winning streak. His only two UFC losses have come against Kamaru Usman (in December 2015) and Claudio Silva (in November 2014).
Not having competed since July 2019, Edwards was scheduled to fight in March against Tyron Woodley. However, the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent travel restrictions caused Edwards to withdraw and the event was eventually canceled.
Check out Edwards’ tweets below:
Leon Edwards says he was offered UFC title shot before Gilbert Burns: 'We couldn't make it work'