LONDON, United Kingdom — Fresh off his first UFC welterweight title defense, Leon Edwards almost visibly scoffed at the idea that former challenger Colby Covington would be next for his belt.
“I don’t know if you know what that means. He hasn’t fought in a year and a half. Sits. No injuries. I just don’t understand how he slipped into a world title when there were others in the division who were active all the time.” Yes,” Edwards told reporters, including Cageside Press, during the postgame altercation.
“I’m the king now. I’ve won my way. I feel like I should decide who’s next.”
One name that comes to mind for Edwards, but not believed by many to be more deserving of Covington, is Jorge Masvidal, who takes on Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 in Miami.
“If we were pay-per-view wise (Edwards was referring to who would be more attractive, thus getting paid the most during his tenure, so PPV points) I would probably go…if Masvidal beat Bourne Well, that’s going to be a fight pay-per-view wise,” he said.
“But I just don’t understand how Colby was out for a year without an injury and then slid in to win a championship. You know when I had to fight 12 games to get there. When I When trying to get the title, they always say who he is, and I don’t know who he is. I’m the king now. I decide.”
So Covington has no chance, but if Masvidal wins at UFC 287, then he might be a contender for Edwards’ title?
“I (just) don’t like him. I feel like that’s someone I need to get back. It feels like there’s a storyline there. If he gets the job done, like I said, I’ll take a look, I’ll think about it. If he Please, I might let him slide here,” Edwards said.
Whoever he faces next, Edwards spoke at length about his dream of defending the belt in a stadium show in his hometown of Birmingham.
“You know that’s crazy, but I’ve talked to the UFC and they’ve said they don’t want to do a stadium show because it’s not the best viewing for the fans,” Edwards told Cageside Press.
“But I think it’s going to be done anyway, just to make history. I think you could sell it easily. Look how fast this sells. Hopefully we can get it in the UK”
Watch Leon Edwards’ entire postgame brawl above.