Dana White Says Leon Edwards Vs. Kamaru Usman is “100%” Next
UFC president Dana White has confirmed that Leon Edwards will get his rematch against welterweight champion Kamaru Usman next.
Edwards has been waiting in the wings since earning a mostly-dominant win over Nate Diaz at UFC 263 last year. He was supposed to fight Jorge Masvidal at UFC 269, but the fight fell through just weeks away from the bout after Masvidal suffered an injury.
After defeating Rafael dos Anjos in July 2019, Edwards was sidelined for nearly two years due to various fight cancelations and unusual circumstances. He would finally return last March against Belal Muhammad, but the fight ended in a no-contest after an accidental eye poke.
Edwards will now fight for the belt after a long journey to the title shot, according to TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter.
“When I asked if Leon Edwards is next in line to fight for the welterweight championship, Dana White‘s reply was ‘100%’,” Bronsteter said.
Leon Edwards Hasn’t Lost In More Than Six Years
Despite his unusual run to the title in recent years, Edwards has arguably been the most dominant welterweight other than the champion Usman. He hasn’t lost a fight since his loss to Usman in 2015 and has won nine straight decisions.
Usman is coming off a dominant 2021 in which he finished fights against Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal and outlasted his biggest rival Colby Covington. Usman is undefeated in his UFC tenure.
As for a timeframe, it’s unclear as to when Usman and Edwards will finally square off in the Octagon once again. A timeframe that makes sense is this summer, and possibly as part of the UFC’s International Fight Week festivities.
Edwards is confident that he has the skillset to upend Usman, and he’ll get the chance to prove it later this year.
Do you think Leon Edwards can beat Kamaru Usman?
