Colby Covington

What’s next for Leon Edwards after UFC Vegas 21?

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Leon Edwards

This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 21, Leon Edwards (18-3, 1 NC) finally got his chance to return to the octagon. Edwards was riding an eight-fight win streak, but hadn’t been able to compete since July of 2019.

Originally, Edwards was supposed to take on Khamzat Chimaev. However, after Chimaev pulled out due to COVID complications, Belal Muhammad (18-3, 1 NC) stepped in. Muhammad had just fought and won at UFC 258 about a month ago.

This was a golden chance for Muhammad to prove that he belonged with the elites of the division. Meanwhile, Leon Edwards was out to show that he was still one of the best in the UFC despite the lengthy layoff.

Early on in the fight, Leon Edwards looked fantastic. His striking was incredibly crisp and he looked very sharp. His pressure was also bothering Belal Muhammad who is normally the one that pushes the pace in his fights.

In the second round, Edwards went to throw a kick and accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye. It was a horrible poke that caused the UFC Vegas 21 main event to be ruled a No Contest. So after that long layoff, Edwards’ return ends with a No Contest.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 21?

Despite Belal Muhammad wanting the rematch, I don’t believe that’s what the UFC will do. This matchup was one of circumstance due to Edwards needing an opponent with just about three weeks time.

Now that the fight is done, I believe the promotion will pair Edwards up with someone near the top. To me, there is one opponent that is perfect for Leon Edwards. That opponent is former UFC interim champion, Colby Covington (16-2).

Covington needs an opponent right now and it doesn’t appear that he’s getting the next UFC title shot. Edwards isn’t getting that shot either so why not pair them up. These guys are number one and three in the world and it makes all the sense that they fight each other next.

UFC: Are the talks between Usman and Masvidal already in trouble?

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Yesterday, there was some solid momentum when it came to the direction of the UFC‘s welterweight division. The champion, Kamaru Usman (18-1), and his management met with Dana White this week and laid out what they wanted next. It was clear that they wanted the rematch with Jorge Masvidal (35-14).

Talks were picking up quickly and both men appeared set to not only rematch but coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. All of this started coming together after UFC 258. After Usman successfully defended his title, he took to the microphone and called out Masvidal.

The two men fought at UFC 251 and Usman won by decision. However, Usman was not happy with the performance and he wanted to fight him again to prove a point. The point that he wanted to prove was that he could finish the UFC‘s BMF. Masvidal and his management seemed to be down for the deal as well.

However, momentum has seemed to hit a snag today. The champion tweeted out, “I’m not feeling generous anymore. Anyone can get it.” Masvidal then responded with his own tweet saying, “Cold feet when you heard we said yes.” It now appears that the UFC has hurdles to getting this done.

What will the UFC do?

It is unclear at this time what has happened that broke down the talks. The UFC was gearing things up and a deal could have been finalized in the next few days. However, that no longer appears to be the case. There are a number of things that could’ve happened.

One interesting wrinkle to this situation is the Leon Edwards news. Leon Edwards is now booked to fight Belal Muhammad on March 13th. With Edwards taking on Muhammad, that leaves Colby Covington (16-2) without a dance partner. Covington and Usman had arguably the fight of the year in 2019.

When it comes to the UFC, Kamaru Usman holds the most leverage as the champion. Dana White all but said that they will follow what Kamaru Usman wants. If Usman wants to fight Covington next, Covington will be the guy. If it’s Masvidal, Masvidal will be the guy. Both would be worthy challengers to the champion.

For Masvidal, the fight could be billed as the fight we should have seen in July. Both guys on a full training camp to see who the better man is. For Covington, the fight could be billed as the rematch after a classic first fight. Both situations would sell for the UFC.

It’s worth noting that the promotion had a tough time booking Usman – Masvidal the first time. Masvidal actually lost the fight to Gilbert Burns. However, Burns’ positive COVID test brought the fight back to Gamebred. At the end of the day, It all comes down to what Usman wants. Whoever the champ wants, the champion will likely get.

BREAKING: UFC books Leon Edwards – Belal Muhammad

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Leon Edwards

The UFC has finally found an opponent for Leon Edwards (18-3). After Khamzat Chimaev had to pull out of their fight again last week, the promotion has been in a scramble to find a replacement for Chimaev.

Dana White said that the UFC was interested in having Colby Covington (16-2) face Edwards. However, Covington has said that he wasn’t interested in fighting Edwards. The promotion then switched gears to other potential matchups in the welterweight division.

Edwards has been anxious and just wants to get back inside the octagon. Well, the UFC has found a willing opponent and Edwards has accepted. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report that Belal Muhammad (18-3) will be stepping up to take on Leon Edwards.

Muhammad just competed last weekend at UFC 258. but it was a clean win and he took no damage. Muhammad is not wanting to waste any time and he jumped at the opportunity to take on Leon Edwards next month.

The fight will still take place on the original date that Edwards was booked which is March 13th. The fight will also remain a five round main event which is what Edwards was planning on all along.

Big implications in the UFC’s welterweight division

Since 2017, Muhammad is 8-1 in the UFC. His lone loss came against Geoff Neal and that was at the beginning of 2019. Since that loss, Muhammad has gone 4-0 and he’s looked incredibly impressive in those fights.

Muhammad’s striking looked sensational last weekend, but it was his pressure and pace that really stood out. You can be sure that he’s not going to make things easy on Leon Edwards when the two fight next month.

This will be the first fight for Leon Edwards since July of 2019. Edwards has been going crazy trying to get back into action, however, the UFC has struggled in getting him a fight that wouldn’t fall through. Hopefully this one stays together and Edwards gets to make the walk next month.

It will be very interesting to watch how Edwards looks in this first fight back. Will ring rust play a factor here or will he come out looking better than ever? This is a dangerous fight against a guy with a lot of momentum. Should he win, a UFC title shot could be next for Leon Edwards.

UFC: Momentum building towards Usman – Masvidal rematch and coaching The Ultimate Fighter

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There is a lot of momentum right now around what’s next for the top of the UFC‘s welterweight division. Last weekend, Kamaru Usman (18-1) defended his title against Gilbert Burns (19-4) in the main event of UFC 258.

Usman put on a brilliant performance and got the finish in the third round. After the fight was over, Usman said he’d fight anybody, but there was one name he wanted more than others. That name is Jorge Masvidal (35-14).

Masvidal and Usman fought back at UFC 251 on short notice. Usman grinded out a decision win, but it’s clear that he’s not happy with the way he won. Masvidal is a massive star and Usman wants to get a finish in the rematch.

The UFC had been trying to book Masvidal against Colby Covington (16-2). The promotion also wanted them to coach The Ultimate Fighter. However, Masvidal was not a fan of coaching the show against Covington. He wanted to fight him, but he didn’t want to coach with him.

Usman is a different story and Masvidal’s management has already told the UFC they’d coach against Usman. This week, per ESPN, Usman and his manager met with Dana White. They made it clear that they want the UFC‘s BMF next.

UFC booking Usman – Masvidal 2?

Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told ESPN, “Jorge Masvidal is a star, you can’t take that away from him, but we believe Kamaru will go out and put a nail in the coffin this time. Kamaru and Dana sat down and on our end, we’re all for it. Dana is the boss and he makes the decisions, but I think Dana is showing him the respect of giving him what he wants. It makes sense for everybody.”

UFC 251, which was headlined by Usman and Masvidal, did 1.3 million PPV buys. There’s no questioning the star power of Masvidal and I believe that Usman and his reps know it’s the biggest fight for them right now.

There’s also the storyline of how the first fight was on short notice and how a full camp might make things different. Add that to a season of The Ultimate Fighter on ESPN and you have massive potential for the rematch.

There is no deal in place right now, but there is a lot of momentum towards the UFC getting this done. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get official word from Dana White by UFC 259 that Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal will be rematching and coaching TUF.

UFC’s Leon Edwards fires back at Colby Covington: ‘Stop being a b*tch’

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Leon Edwards

There is nothing more that Leon Edwards (18-3) wants than to climb into a UFC octagon and compete. The third ranked welterweight in the world has been out more than a year and a half, and it hasn’t been due to injuries.

Edwards was supposed to fight in March of 2020, but COVID shut things down. Then, the lockdowns in England prevented him from getting a training camp. From there, the UFC had trouble getting him a fight.

They finally landed on Khamzat Chimaev (9-0), but between Chimaev and Edwards, the fight fell through three times. Now, Edwards is back at square one while waiting for the UFC to find him an opponent.

After Chimaev had to pullout last week, Dana White said that the UFC was interested in booking Edwards against Colby Covington (16-2). Covington was in talks to fight Jorge Masvidal (35-14), however, it now appears that Masvidal will fight Kamaru Usman (18-1) next.

In theory, it makes sense to book this fight. Covington and Edwards are the second and third ranked welterweights in the UFC. It’s a great matchup, but Covington isn’t into it. Yesterday, Covington said he wasn’t interested in, “Charity work,” in reference to fighting Edwards.

Will the UFC make this fight?

Edwards was interviewed by ESPN’s Ariel Helwani and he issued a response to Covington’s comments. Edwards said, “Stop being a b*tch. Step up, he talks all this sh*t on social media but he doesn’t want to fight. He makes excuses. Stop being a b*tch and let’s get this work.”

As mentioned, this is the matchup that the UFC is wanting to make. Edwards earned a lot of respect with the UFC front office in accepting the Khamzat Chimaev fight. Chimaev was ranked fifteenth while Edwards was third. There wasn’t a ton to gain for Edwards and a lot to lose.

Because of that, White wants to reward Edwards with a big fight. As of now, the plan is to keep Edwards on the headliner of the March 13th Fight Night. They want Covington in this matchup, but there’s still a ways to go in making that happen.

UFC’s Colby Covington on potential Leon Edwards fight: ‘This isn’t charity hour’

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A week ago, there was a clear plan for the UFC‘s welterweight division. Leon Edwards (18-3) was going to fight Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) in March. The promotion was also working on Colby Covington (16-2) and Jorge Masvidal (35-14).

UFC 258 was headlined by the welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman (18-1) and Gilbert Burns (19-4). Everything seemed to be setting up for Edwards/Chimaev to fight for the belt next with Covington/Masvidal fighting the winner after they coach The Ultimate Fighter.

However, all changed when Khamzat Chimaev had to pull out of the Edwards fight. After that happened, the UFC starting switching their plans. Dana White came out and said the promotion was looking at booking Leon Edwards – Colby Covington. 

After UFC 258, Usman called for a fight with Jorge Masvidal. That fight and the opportunity to coach The Ultimate Fighter seems to be on the table now. However, Covington isn’t a fan of how this is all shaking out.

According to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, the UFC couldn’t get Masvidal to agree to coaching TUF alongside Covington. He’d fight him, but he didn’t want to coach. That’s where that fell apart, and now Covington is being offered Edwards. He told Submission Radio that he’s not a fan of that option.

What will the UFC do?

“Leon Scott (Edwards) hasn’t earned anything boys. I’m in the Colby Covington Incorporated Championship PPV Business. I’m not in the Leon Scott charity business. This isn’t charity hour,” Covington said to submission radio.

In terms of rankings, a fight between Covington and Edwards does make sense for the UFC. However, I can see where Covington is coming from. Covington fought Usman closer than anyone else has in his recent run.

On top of that, Covington is also coming off of a dominant win over for champion Tyron Woodley. In reality, he has a very strong case for being the next man to challenge Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title.

However, with the champion wanting to fight Masvidal, it appears that Covington will have to wait. The UFC is likely going to keep pushing for the Edwards fight and we should know soon if that fight is a real option or not.

What’s next for Kamaru Usman after UFC 258?

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This past Saturday at UFC 258, Kamaru Usman (18-1) defended his welterweight title against Gilbert Burns (19-4). It was such an intriguing matchup because of the rise of Gilbert Burns and the fact that these two men used to be training partners.

The fight didn’t start well for Usman. Usman was hurt badly in the opening exchanges and Burns went all out trying to get a finish. However, Usman remained composed during the storm of Burns. Once that storm was over, the fight started to flip.

In the second round, Usman started picking Burns apart. Usman’s jab looked incredible and he ended up dropping Burns a couple of times in the second round. The finish was right there for the UFC champion.

In the third round, a power jab sat Burns down for good. Usman followed up with shots and the ref called a stop to the action. A massive win and a massive statement from the UFC‘s welterweight champion.

What’s next after UFC 258?

After the fight was over, there was one name on the mind of the UFC welterweight champion. That name is Jorge Masvidal (35-14). Masvidal and Usman fought back at UFC 251 on short-notice and Usman won by decision.

Usman said in his post-fight interview that he wants Masvidal to get a full camp so he can finish him. The UFC had been trying to book Masvidal and Colby Covington against each other and make them the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter.

However, it now appears that the UFC is going to switch things up. As of now, it appears that the promotion is going to book the rematch with Masvidal and Usman with them serving as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter.

Nothing is set in stone at the moment, but it appears that the rematch between Masvidal and Usman is next. It’s the biggest fight in terms of dollar signs for Usman so it’s not a huge surprise to see him want to get in there again with Gamebred.

After falling short at UFC 258, what’s next for Gilbert Burns?

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This past Saturday at UFC 258, Gilbert Burns (19-4) finally got his shot at Kamaru Usman (18-1). Burns was originally supposed to fight for the title back in July of last year, but a positive COVID test prevented the fight from happening.

Then, the two were supposed to fight at UFC 256 in December. However, Usman needed more time to recover after sustaining injuries in his last fight. The two finally got their chance to see who was better at UFC 258.

The fight couldn’t have started better for Gilbert Burns. Burns’ speed was blistering and he hurt Usman bad in the opening exchanges. However, Burns got overzealous in going for the kill and it seemed to drain him a bit.

After Burns couldn’t put the champion away, he appeared to be fatigued from an adrenaline dump. Usman started to go to work after that point. With a piston-like jab, Usman started beating up the challenger in the second round.

Between the second and third rounds at UFC 258, Burns was dropped three times before the referee called a stop to the action. Burns was extremely emotional in the octagon after the crushing loss. So after falling short on Saturday, what’s next for Gilbert Burns?

What’s next after UFC 258?

Everything in the UFC’s welterweight division has seemingly turned on it’s head. A week ago, the promotion had Khamzat Chimaev – Leon Edwards booked and they were working on Jorge Masvidal – Colby Covington for The Ultimate Fighter.

However, after the Chimaev – Edwards fight fell through, Dana White said that the UFC is looking at booking Covington – Edwards. With that, it appears that Jorge Masvidal (35-14) is going to get the next title shot after Kamaru Usman called him out on Saturday. 

With knowing these new directions, where does that leave Gilbert Burns? Well, if Colby Covington (16-2) and Leon Edwards (18-3) do fight in March, Burns could take on the loser in his next fight. Perhaps even the winner depending on how the title fight timeline shakes up.

A couple of additional options would be a fight with Michael Chiesa (18-4) or Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1). Those are the opponents that make the most sense for Burns. Gilbert Burns isn’t going away and he’s perhaps only just a win or two away from getting another title shot.

UFC: After post-fight callout, Jorge Masvidal could be next for Kamaru Usman per Dana White

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Kamaru Usman (18-1) was simply brilliant at UFC 258. After getting hurt in the opening exchanges by Gilbert Burns (19-4), Usman started going to work on the challenger. Behind a beautiful jab and pressure, Usman was able to break Gilbert Burns.

In the second round, the UFC champion dropped Burns a few times. In the third round, Burns was dropped again by Usman which led to the end of the fight. Usman was fired up after the fight and demanded that people put some respect on his name.

In his post-fight interview, there was only one name on his mind. That name was Jorge Masvidal (35-14). Masvidal and Usman fought back at UFC 251 in July and Usman won the fight by decision.

Burns was originally supposed to fight Usman that night. However, COVID cancelled that fight. Usman and Masvidal agreed to fight on six days notice. Masvidal has maintained that he would beat Usman if he had a full camp and that hasn’t sat well with the UFC champion.

Usman told Joe Rogan after the fight that “Street Jesus” could have a full camp and he wants to finish him. At the post-fight press conference, Dana White seemed to be interested in the idea.

Will the UFC make it happen?

“If that’s the fight he (Usman) wants. That’s the fight Masvidal wants and I’m sure the people would like to see it too,” White said. Yesterday, White had mentioned that he was into the idea of having Leon Edwards and Colby Covington fight to be the number one contender.

If that fight were to take place, Masvidal wouldn’t have an opponent. At the moment, Usman doesn’t have a clear challenger so the fight does make sense in theory. Also, White has always maintained that he will make the fights that UFC fans want to see.

Given the star power of Jorge Masvidal, I think it’s safe to say that the rematch would be massive. We know that’s the fight Masvidal wants and if Usman is set on it, I think the UFC is going to move in that direction. It’ll be interesting to see how this situation unfolds at welterweight.

UFC now targeting Colby Covington – Leon Edwards

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UFC, Colby Covington

Well the UFC is completely changing around their current plans after the news yesterday. Yesterday, we learned that the upcoming headliner between Leon Edwards (18-3) and Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) was off. The third time that fight’s been cancelled. 

The promotion decided to move forward and they’ve been working on a new fight for Edwards. Edwards stated on Twitter today that he was interested in fighting Nate Diaz. His management has said he’d take a fight against Diaz, Jorge Masvidal (35-13), or Colby Covington (16-2).

Currently, the UFC had been working on a fight between Masvidal and Covington. It’s the fight that the world has wanted to see and there had been rumblings about those two coaching the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.

However, with the news yesterday, the UFC has switched things up. After today’s weigh-ins, Dana White took to the podium to take questions from the media. When asked about Edwards, White said that the promotion was looking to book Edwards against Colby Covington in a title eliminator.

What does the UFC do now?

Tomorrow night at UFC 258, the welterweight title is on the line between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. There is not a clear number one contender lined up to take on the winner of that fight.

For the last few months, the expectation was that Covington and Masvidal would fight in a title eliminator. However, that fight has been slow developing and it still hasn’t been finalized. Now, with the Chimaev news, the UFC appears to be willing to move on.

The word as of now is that there is momentum towards the Covington – Edwards fight which would leave Masvidal without an opponent for now. Covington and Edwards would fight next month to see who would be the UFC’s number one contender.

My guess is that the promotion would shift back to doing the BMF rematch with Masvidal and Nate Diaz (20-12). Originally, that was the plan for the promotion. However, they switched gears in December and tried to book Masvidal – Covington. This is definitely a situation to keep your eyes on.