When UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards looks at the 170-pound division, he does not see a clear contender for his next title defense.
UFC president Dana White has asserted that Colby Covington will get the next title shot, but Edwards doesn’t think ‘Chaos’ deserves it.
“At the moment, in the division, there’s no clear number one contender,” Edwards told Sky Sports. “Colby is coming off two loses, one win. Gilbert [Burns] similar… These guys are winning one fight, losing one fight, and then fighting for a wold title. It’s a difficult time. Like I said, there’s no clear number one contender.”
“Colby being uninjured, sitting on the sidelines, turning down fights for over a year. Nobody else has done that and earned a title shot from doing that,” said Edwards. “That’s the why not… He hasn’t earned his position. You can’t sit down uninjured over a year turning down fights and then, okay, I want a title shot now. That’s never been done before. Now I’m champion. I decide. Colby isn’t a champion. He don’t decide nothing.”
It’s not really about the opponent to Edwards. ‘Rocky’ had to put together a long winning streak before he earned his title shot.
“The game is the game. There’s always going to be someone next. If I truly believe that I am number one I should be able to face these guys and beat these guys. And I do believe that I am number one, so it’s just about making it make sense,” he said.
“If it’s Colby, then it is Colby. It is what it is,” continued Edwards. “The order, let’s say who’s next, Burns, Colby, Belal [Muhammad], whoever else. They’re all similar fights. They’re all going to come with the same game plan. It’s all the same. It’s not about the opponent. There’s not fear for Colby. There’s nothing that’s fearful of Colby.”
Colby Covington disparages Brazilians, as Leon Edwards looms in London
Leon Edwards: ‘There’s no clear No. 1 contender’
