Masvidal: Edwards Isn’t A Real Fighter

Leon Edwards picked up a one-sided unanimous decision win over Nate Diaz at UFC 263 just last weekend (June 12, 2021), putting him right in the thick of the Welterweight championship picture. After the win, Leon’s biggest rival Jorge Masvidal took the opportunity to critique his performance.

Naturally, coming from Masvidal many expected “Gamebred” to fire off pure ether when breaking it all down. But much to a lot of people’s surprise his reaction to “Rocky’s” performance and victory was mixed.

“It was a good performance by (Edwards and Diaz),” Masvidal said in a recent media scrum (transcription by MMA Junkie). “Leon did what he does. He keeps asking for more money and more things, but he’s not a finisher, he’s not a fighter. He was winning happily and he wasn’t willing to put himself at risk to go out there and get those finishes, that’s why I don’t think he’s in the position he wants to be,” said Masvidal.

“He’s not going out there and fighting every second of every minute. He’s a very skilled guy, but he just doesn’t have that grit in him, that meanness to go out there and beat a top contender the way he should.”

Masvidal and Edwards have a beef stemming back a couple of years after the two had a backstage confrontation at a UFC event, prompting the birth of the “three piece and a soda.”

Since then Edwards has been trying to lock down a fight against the former backyard brawler but hasn’t had much luck. Instead, “Gamebred” has gone on two compete for the 170-pound title twice, coming up short each time.

For some UFC experts pitting them against one another is the fight to make now because Masvidal’s stock is sliding a bit while Edwards could use a fight to keep him busy while Colby Covington rematch Kamaru Usman, possibly later this year.

For Masvidal, he has no preference in who he fights next, indicating that he will take on any and all comers, Edwards, Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz included.

“All of the above. Whoever is available in October, November when I’m coming back, that’s whose head is coming off.”

Soon after Edwards caught wind of Masvidal’s comments, he took the opportunity to pour some salt on his wounds following his violent knockout loss to Usman at UFC 261.

Naturally, Masvidal didn’t sit idle, firing back his own threatening tweet.