Jorge Masvidal Targeting Fall UFC Return, Downplays Leon Edwards
Jorge Masvidal may have lost back-to-back fights to UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, but he’s already thinking about his eventual return to the octagon later this year and has an old rival in mind as an opponent.
Masvidal spent Thursday promoting his Gambred Fighting Championship promotion ahead of the inaugural fight card this weekend, featuring a main event between featherweights Jason Knight and Charles Bennett. While he talked about how excited he was to begin his new venture as a fight promoter, he answered many questions about whether or not he’ll return to the UFC this year and is planning on a Fall return against a top-five opponent.
When asked who he would like to fight, Masvidal had a notable name in mind; Leon Edwards.
“Whoever is available in October, November when I’m coming back, that’s whose head is coming off,” Masvidal said during a media scrum. “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. He’s not going out there and fighting every second of every minute.”
Edwards is coming off a virtually dominant performance from start to finish against Nate Diaz at UFC 263 with the exception of a late flurry from Diaz in the bout’s final minute. He showcased his technical striking combined with a scrappy ground game to essentially dismantle Diaz’s game plan.
Edwards and Masvidal first clashed in early 2019 backstage at a UFC Fight Night event in London. The two came face-to-face with Masvidal throwing punches and creating his trademark phrase “three-piece with a soda”. Edwards is expected to compete for the title in his next fight after the Usman vs. Colby Covington rematch later this year, but a bout with Masvidal is certainly still on the table.
Who do you think Jorge Masvidal should fight for his return to the UFC octagon?
