UFC 278’s Leon Edwards hopes to make first title defense in UK against ‘bum’ Jorge Masvidal

Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

Leon Edwards already has his first title defense in mind ahead of his welterweight title bout with Kamaru Usman at UFC 278.

The Brit hopes to fight ‘bum’ Jorge Masvidal in the UK should he get past Usman in the UFC 278 main event and take the belt back home to England.

Edwards and Masvidal have unfinished business dating back to 2019 when the pair got into a scuffle backstage at UFC London following their respective victories over Gunnar Nelson and Darren Till.

Both men were expected to meet last year at UFC 269, but Masvidal withdrew due to injury, and the fight was called off.

Eight months later, ‘Rocky’ has reignited their rivalry in the hopes of setting up his first title defense against ‘Gamebred’ in the UK.

“That guy is a bum, I didn’t see his call out but he’s a bum anyway,” Edwards told talkSPORT ahead of UFC 278. He’s just looking for another title shot, but I’ll grant him his wish after this fight. I want it in the UK, I’ll give the bum the opportunity to come fight for the title just to show everyone how s*** he is.”

It’s a good shout from Edwards, but the Team Renegade talent should expect to find himself in an immediate rematch with Usman should he dethrone the latter on Saturday.

UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2 takes place tonight, Aug. 20, at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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CHAMPIONSHIP TRILOGY! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to O2 Arena, London England, on Sat., March 18, 2023, with newly-minted Welterweight kingpin, Leon Edwards, running it back with former 170-pound champion, Kamaru Usman, for a third (and likely final) time. In UFC 286’s pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event, all-action Lightweight knockout artists, Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev, will lock horns with the winner inching closer to a future Lightweight title shot.

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