After hearing rumors that Jorge
Masvidal wasn’t seriously training for their announced clash at
UFC
269, Leon
Edwards wasn’t surprised when “Gamebred pulled out of their
welterweight fight last week.
“I knew he was going to,” Edwards told
ESPN. “I heard some news coming back that he was looking a bit
fat, he was looking chubby still. I didn’t think he was training
for it to be honest. I always knew he was going to run away. It’s
been three years since the incident in London and he’s been dodging
me ever since.”
Interest in a grudge match between Edwards and Masvidal began after
UFC Fight Night 147 in London, when the two men had an altercation
backstage following the event. Masvidal went viral after hitting
Edwards with a “three-piece and a soda” combination during that
scuffle, which helped raise his profile significantly. It’s been
more than two years since then, and Masvidal has enjoyed the spoils
of stardom with a headlining bout at Madison Square Garden and a
pair of title shots against Kamaru
Usman.
Edwards says that Masvidal knows he doesn’t have anything to gain
from fighting him. “Rocky” told ESPN that he asked about the injury
that forced Masvidal to withdraw from their bout but wasn’t given
any clarification regarding the nature of the ailment.
“I believe he’s a fraud and he’s doing what he needs to get out of
the fight,” Edwards said. “He knows that once he loses to me, where
does he go?”
Now, Edwards has no interest in remaining on the UFC 269 bill.
Instead, he will wait for a title shot against Usman, an
opportunity he believes the promotion recognizes he deserves.
“I feel [the UFC] sees it,” Edwards said. “They now believe I am
well-deserving. There is no one else for Usman to fight. I’m the
guy saying ‘yes’ all the time. I’m the guy fighting. I feel the
promotion and I am on the same page, let’s say that.”