While speaking on The MMA Hour, Leon Edwards shut down the idea of fighting fellow welterweight contender Gilbert Burns.
Recently, Edwards has been back and forth on who is next for him. But when the topic of Gilbert Burns came up, Edwards was quick to close the door on a potential matchup.
“Gilbert does nothing for my career or nothing for me at this point,” Edwards scoffed. “Like I said, he just got knocked out, cried like a baby in the Octagon, and then went and humped Wonderboy for three rounds. So nah.”
The Englishman has been a top contender for years now, but the universe continues to conspire against him. Edwards was on a tear until COVID-19 protocols canceled the U.K. event that “Rocky” was set to headline in 2020. Stuck in a COVID-induced limbo, Edwards was then booked to face Khamzat Chimaev on three different occasions. None of those bouts would come to fruition due to the pandemic.
After the layoff, Edwards made his way back only to have an accidental eye-poke leave his short-notice opponent, Belal Muhammed, unable to continue. At UFC 263, Edwards beat up Nate Diaz for the better part of five rounds, even if some fans only recall the final minute.
Burns’ wrestling-heavy victory over Stephen Thompson at UFC 264 may have caught some flack, but it proves that Burns is still a problem for the top five.
While it makes sense for Burns to call out other top contenders en route to another title fight, Ariel Helwani actually admonished Burns for the move in a recent segment on his show.
Should Leon Edwards take a fight against another contender or wait for a title shot?
