Jorge Masvidal has aspirations to return to the UFC, and he is now specifically targeting a fight against former welterweight champion Leon Edwards for his comeback.
“If the UFC wants to make this happen, give me the Leon fight, and then after that, I’ll fight whoever has that damn belt,” Masvidal said to Submission Radio this week. “I know Dana (White) is probably going to see this.”
Masvidal has of course had a long running rivalry with Edwards after their clash backstage at UFC Fight Night 147 in 2019 when ‘Gamebred’ infamously hit his rival after taking exception to the fact that Edwards had interrupted an interview he was having live on TV.
While it seemed like an obvious fight to make at the time, both had other blockbuster fights to pursue instead, with Masvidal later going on to win the symbolic ‘BMF’ title and challenge for the welterweight title twice, while a couple of years later Edwards did become the 170lb champion and successfully defend it twice.
Both fighters MMA careers have taken a dip since then, with Masvidal retiring from MMA in 2023 to pursue other combat sport opportunities after losing four fights in a row, while Edwards lost his title last year and suffered a submission loss to Sean Brady last weekend.
So neither fighter is currently at the peak of their powers, but after watching him recently Masvidal believes that it’s a good match-up for him stylistically.
“In every way, shape, or form,” Masvidal believes he can get the better of Edwards. “I know for one thing, he can’t wrestle me for five rounds. So, I don’t have to worry about the takedowns, and I know on the feet, he’s fragile compared to me.
“The opponents we’ve faced, what he’s been able to do to them, what I’ve been able to do to them for the most part, besides Usman, I’ve been able to put a lot of guys away that he fought and went to decision with. The way he takes shots and the way I take shots, he’s just fragile compared to me, and if we get in that cage, I’m willing to prove how fragile he is compared to me.”
Masvidal hasn’t yet officially returned to the UFC though, so it remains to be seen if this fight actually materializes.
