Leon Edwards Sets Out ‘Dream Scenario’ For After UFC 278 Title Bout With Usman

Leon Edwards 3 year wait for a crack at Welterweight gold will finally be broken on August 20th when he takes on Pound for Pound number 1, Kamaru Usman, at UFC 278.

Since the two last fought in 2015, both have gone on to win every fight, with Edwards holding the highest win streak in the division, outside of the champions’. The Brits hardcore fanbase have been calling for the 30-year-old to get his well deserved title shot for several years now, as he has seen Welterweight contenders above and below him get multiple title shots before he can even get one.

One previous contender in particular is someone Edwards has a lot of beef with, that being Jorge Masvidal. The feud between the two began back in 2019 at UFC London. Edwards had just dominated Gunnar Nelson to pick up his 7th win in a row, and Masvidal had just starched Darren Till in the main event, ending a 2 fight losing skid. The two bumped into each other backstage, with Masvidal taking the chance to land a few unwarranted shots on Edwards.

From that moment on, the 2 have been engaged in back and fourth social media beef, setting up for a meeting inside the Octagon. On December 11th of last year, Edwards was finally set to get his chance of redemption, with a win also seeing him guarantee himself a title shot. Just a month prior to their scheduled bout, Masvidal pulled out due to an undisclosed injury, but only weeks later, announced a bout with enemy, Colby Covington.

The Brummy believed that Gamebred pulled out purposely as he wanted to get out of the fight, “I believe he’s a fraud and he’s doing what he needs to get out of the fight.” Edwards told ESPN.

Despite Edwards facing the uncrackable test so far in Usman, he has a proposition for if he becomes the Welterweight champion, telling Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, that he wants his first title defence to be against Jorge Masvidal in either Birmingham or London.

“When I win the belt, I’ll give him the title shot, that’ll be a fantastic fight in the UK. Bring it back to the o2 where it happened and fight for the title, that’s what I want to do next. When I win, that’ll be the dream scenario, to bring it back to London to headline.”

Leon Edwards was set to headline his first UFC event back in 2020, when he was scheduled to take on Tyron Woodley at UFC London, but the event was the first to fall as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 30-year-old will be the first Brit to fight for a title since Darren Till came up short to then Welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley, back in 2018. The main event will go down on August 20th in Salt Lake City, Utah, at UFC 278.