Leon Edwards leaves door open for Jorge Masvidal fight despite different career trajectories

LONDON – Although they’re currently on different career trajectories, Leon Edwards won’t entirely rule out a future fight with Jorge Masvidal.

Edwards (19-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) has been chomping at the bit to get a crack at Masvidal ever since their infamous backstage altercation during the UFC’s 2019 London show, where both men competed and won their respective bouts. But now that Edwards is next in line for a title shot against Kamaru Usman, and Masvidal (35-16 MMA, 12-9 UFC) has lost his past three in a row, a fight isn’t on the Brit’s radar – perhaps unless he wins the title.

“No, I think our career, I’m going like this (pointing up), and he is going like that (pointing down). It’s going to be difficult to balance it out if we can ever fight,” Edwards told MMA Junkie. “I might just f*cking win the belt and be like, ‘F*ck it, let’s fight.’ So you never know. We’ll see.”

Edwards and Masvidal were scheduled to finally settle their score at UFC 269 this past December, but the bout was scrapped when “Gamebred” was forced to withdraw due to injury.

Masvidal went on to face rival Colby Covington at UFC 272 earlier this month, losing the bout by unanimous decision. He’s since found himself in legal trouble after allegedly attacking Covington at a Miami steakhouse, and it remains to be seen how the incident and potential legal repercussions impact plans for his next fight.

Edwards on the other hand, was finally declared the No. 1 contender and is expected to get his long-awaited title shot against Usman sometime in summer.