Leon Edwards was left hanging for a chance at vengeance against Jorge Masvidal, an experience that he has lamented as the one that got away. Edwards has been vocal about his disappointment for not being able to have a rematch against Masvidal, who remains one of the most popular fighters in the UFC today. Now, Edwards will have to look ahead and look for other opportunities to prove himself in the octagon, but the chance for revenge against Masvidal will remain the one that got away
The One That Got Away
It was the backstage altercation heard round the MMA world. Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards had a heated confrontation at a UFC London event in 2019, which ended with Masvidal landing a brutal punch on Edwards’ face. The video of the incident went viral, and the feud between the two fighters was born.
“That was the fight to make even after the [Ben] Askren fight,” Edwards said about the possibility of facing Masvidal in the octagon. But Masvidal’s star quickly rose after his five-second flying knee knockout over Askren, and he became one of the UFC’s biggest stars.
Despite his desire for vengeance, Edwards never got his chance. The UFC never showed much interest in booking the fight, and Masvidal moved on to bigger and better things.
But even when Masvidal wasn’t at his best, Edwards was rooting for him to win. Why? “I wanted to put a beating on him,” he admitted.
It’s a shame that we never got to see Masvidal and Edwards settle their score in the octagon. But for now, Edwards will have to focus on his upcoming fight against Nate Diaz, while Masvidal continues his journey to the top of the welterweight division.
Edwards Laments Lost Opportunity
Currently ranked as third in the UFC Welterweight world, Leon Edwards has won eight straight fights. Despite this, he has one more opponent he has not faced:
Jorge Masvidal, and the lack of a match-up leaves him discouraged. Masvidal punched Edwards in the face during a backstage altercation in March 2019. Since then, the two have had bad blood, with Edwards constantly calling out Masvidal for a rematch.
In spite of this, Masvidal has gone on to fight and knock out the former UFC welterweight champion, Ben Askren, and win the BMF title against Nate Diaz.
Conversely, Edwards has struggled to get a fight after the backstage altercation, with multiple bouts falling through for reasons such as COVID-19.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Edwards opened up about his frustration at not getting the chance to face Masvidal again, saying, “That’s the one that got away, the one that’s always going to eat me alive. That’s the one I always wanted to get my hands on again. That’s the one that really bothers me.”
Edwards believes that a fight with Masvidal would be a massive opportunity for him to prove his worth and potentially secure a title shot. However, with Masvidal focused on bigger fights and Edwards struggling to get opponents, it seems unlikely that the two will face off anytime soon.
As Edwards continues to climb the Welterweight ranks, he knows that he needs to stay focused on his own career and not dwell on missed opportunities. However, it’s clear that a rematch with Masvidal would be a personal highlight for him, and it’s a fight that fans would love to see.
Masvidal Moves On
