Leon Edwards (image via UFC/YouTube)

By FCF Staff

Now that Leon Edwards is no longer fighting Jorge Masvidal at UFC 269, he thinks a showdown with his rival ever happening is unlikely.

The welterweights were booked to fight at the December 11 card. But, recently, Masvidal had to withdraw due to an injury. Talk about the two fighting has been going on since 2019, on account of a backstage incident they had a UFC London card.

It’s not clear right now if the UFC will try to rebook the match-up. But, while speaking to ESPN recently, Edwards relayed he doesn’t think the fight will ever go down (quotes via MMA Junkie).

“I don’t believe (we’ll get booked again),” Edwards said. “I’m going up, he’s going that way (down). So I can’t see when there’s going to be a time when the fight makes sense. I’m going to keep winning. I’m going on to world championships and competing at a higher level. He’s declining. So it’s going to be difficult now for us to get into a position where the fight makes sense. But we’ll see.”

The contender also repeated his contention he isn’t certain Masvidal is really injured.

“I always felt that he was a fake, that he’s a fraud,” Edwards said. “I knew this going into the fight that he’s a fake. He had, like, a good year, year and a half that he had the (Darren) Till knockout, the Ben Askren knockout, and that kind of propelled him. But apart from that, he’s nothing but a journeyman. Every time he fights, more than likely, he’s probably going to lose. My opinion hasn’t changed much. I knew what I knew, and now the fans are getting to see it. Now it’s clear as day, you know, that he’s not who he pretends to be.”

Masvidal (35-15) is coming off back-to-back losses to champion Kamaru Usman. In their rematch this past April, Usman brutally knocked out the veteran.

The 37-year-old Masvidal is currently ranked #7 in the UFC’s welterweight rankings. The 30-year-old Edwards (19-3), who has gone undefeated in 10 straight fights, is ranked #3.