After beating Nate Diaz by unanimous decision last weekend at UFC 263, Leon Edwards believes he should be next to fight the 170lbs champ Kamaru Usman.
Leon Edwards, 29, holds a professional record of 19-3 and is on a nine-fight unbeaten streak. As it stands, the welterweight who cut his teeth in the rougher parts of England at an early age is now on the cusp of a world title shot in the UFC. However, former title challenger Colby “Chaos” Covington is quite dismissive of Edwards’ rise to the top.
After UFC president Dana White confirmed that the #1-ranked Covington would be next for Usman, Edwards did not seem to agree with the decision to go with the rematch.
“Let’s say they do give Colby the title shot, I’m not fighting no one else unless it’s a title shot. That’s just it,” Edwards told the UFC’s John Gooden. “I’m not gonna start fighting 10, 11, 12 fights and still ain’t got a title shot. I’ve earned my way. I didn’t b*tch and moan when I took my loss against Kamaru. I worked my way back up to now have a 9, 10-fight win streak. I feel like I deserve it.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
In an effort to substantiate his argument, Leon Edwards believes that his nine-fight unbeaten streak eclipses the lone win Covington scored against Tyron Woodley in late 2020.
“Colby went and got knocked out for the title shot, went and got a weird win, and now is back in for a title shot, which is f*cked up. It is what it is but let’s say they do give him the title shot, then I’ll fight the winner later on this year but I’m not fighting no one else….”
“(2022) will be my year. I’ll be a world champion by the end of the year,” Edwards said. “I can feel it. Everything happens for a reason and however it plays out, it plays out, but I will be a world champion by the end of the year.”
While Usman and Edwards did fight in 2015, many believe both have evolved exponentially since then. As Edwards continues to build a giant win streak, it seems only a matter of time before the Englishman reaches his dream of fighting for a world title at 170lbs.
Who do you think should be next for Kamaru Usman? Leon Edwards or Colby Covington?
