UFC welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, is being considered for a slot in the promotion's highly anticipated return to Madison Square Garden at UFC 295.
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UFC welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, is being considered for a slot in the promotion’s highly anticipated return to Madison Square Garden at UFC 295. According to UFC President Dana White, Edwards is set to make an appearance “before the end of the year,” with the possibility of featuring in a significant bout at MSG.
Although Dana White didn’t specifically mention Leon Edwards’ expected opponent, Colby Covington, for the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden, Covington had previously been lined up as a potential challenger after being named the backup fighter for the champ’s rematch with Kamaru Usman at UFC 286. Originally planned for UFC London, Edwards vs. Covington was put on hold by Edwards himself, who is now eyeing a return to the octagon in the fall.
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Initially, Leon Edwards didn’t consider Colby Covington as a worthy opponent for his welterweight title, stating that Covington didn’t deserve a shot at the belt. However, Edwards’ stance softened later on, and his team clarified that he wouldn’t be opposed to facing another contender like Belal Muhammad for his next challenge.
At first, Leon Edwards disregarded Colby Covington as a potential opponent, asserting that the two-time welterweight champion wasn’t deserving of a title shot. However, his representative later clarified that Edwards wouldn’t be rigid in his stance and might consider facing another contender, like the rising star Belal Muhammad, for his next challenge.
Edwards has set his sights on UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi as a potential venue for his next fight, and it seems lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has thrown down the gauntlet, challenging the welterweight champ to a showdown at that event. Although the UFC has its schedule booked until that month, there are still available slots on the November pay-per-view card, which currently features a heavyweight title clash between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.
It has been four months since Edwards secured a decision victory over Kamaru Usman in their UFC 286 rematch, which followed his title-winning knockout of the former champ in August 2022. On the other hand, Covington’s last fight was in March 2022, where he earned a decision win against his former friend and training partner Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272. However, after the fight, an alleged assault by Masvidal on Covington in a restaurant resulted in a pending criminal case.
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