UK’s Leon Edwards set for huge clash with Jorge Masvidal at UFC 269

Birmingham’s own Leon Edwards will return to the octagon for a huge welterweight clash with Jorge Masvidal at UFC 269 as the no. 3 ranked Brit tackles the no. 6 ranked veteran.

In the final pay-per-view of the year, the man known as “Rocky” will attempt to leave no doubt regarding who the next contender for Kamaru Usman’s 170-pound title should be. Edwards hasn’t lost since 2015 with nine wins and one draw to his name and while many undervalue what he can do inside the cage, others believe he deserves to be rewarded for the incredible run he’s been on since losing to Usman in their first encounter.

If he wants to get to that title shot, though, he’ll have to get through a man who has played a pretty prominent role in the last few years of his career – Jorge Masvidal.

The time for talk is over

Back at UFC London in March 2019, Masvidal knocked out Darren Till to begin an incredible career resurrection that saw him go on to defeat Ben Askren and Nate Diaz in the same calendar year. He wound up losing in back-to-back title meetings with Kamaru Usman but despite that, he’s still considered to be one of the biggest stars in all of mixed martial arts.

While he’s done a lot to increase his value in the last two & a half years, it was that night in London which kickstarted his rivalry with Edwards.

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During a post-fight interview “Gamebred” was heckled by Edwards and his team backstage at the O2 Arena. After a quick verbal altercation, things soon escalated with Masvidal landing a few nasty blows on Leon that left him with notable damage to his face.

From there the famous “three piece with a soda” phrase was born and ever since, fans have been clamouring to see them collide.

On December 11, it appears as if they’ll get their wish.

Featured image credit: Getty