UFC 269 was already stacked enough without Edwards and Masvidal being hidden at the bottom of the main card. Let’s be honest, other than a pay day, this does nothing for Leon. Leon was punching up and is next in line after Colby for the title. Edwards would only risk a shot at the title with a loss to Masvidal, so this fight being canceled is a blessing for the englishman. Khamzat has come out saying that he would step in, bt who knows. Here’s what we should expect in the Welterweight division.
Firstly, Colby Covington is still the next best fighter in the division after the champ Kamaru Usman, So Edwards would either need to go through Colby or get the next shot. I know people don’t like that Edwards hasn’t beaten anyone in the top five, but he has proved that he is willing to do anything to show he deserves a shot. Now there are a few names in the mix in the welterweight division. Khamzat Chimaev keeps on destroying unranked fighters with ease, Nate Diaz keeps getting top ranked fighters while Bela Muhammad is waiting and willing to fight anyone. Luque was the emergency replacement for Colby vs Usman but didn’t make weight. Ideally, we see some sort of tournament happen where all these men would square off to see who will take the thrown away from Usman.
The champ has gone public and said that he wants some time for his daughter. Fighting four times in the last two years since he took the belt from Tyron Woodley. These are the fights that we would really be interested in seeing:
#10 – Khamzat Chimaev vs #5 Stephen Thompson
Wonderboy’s standup is far superior than most fighters in any division, he has great takedown defense and creates distance that may cause a problem for Khamzat. Khamzat on the other hand, needs to back up what he’s been preaching. Yes, we know he’s been punched in the face just two times in his career but Wonderboy’s takedown defense is 74% in the UFC. This is the perfect test for Khamzat while keeping Wonderboy relative.
#4 Vicente Luque vs #7 Jorge Masvidal
This fight is for the fans. Both guys love to scrap while they have a mutual respect for one another. They both fall into the Florida rivalry with Jorge training at ATT and Luque at Sanford MMA. It’s almost like these two gyms can’t get enough of each other. MMA fans would love this fight to happen very soon and it makes sense.
#1 Colby Covington vs #3 Leon Edwards
This fight has two possible lanes when it’s done. If Leon can beat Colby decisively then he gets a title shot. If Colby wins then he would need to fight one more person to get back into title contention. As well as Colby did, he lost twice, close but lost twice. Leon was one or two punches away from losing Nate Diaz and that would’ve derailed is climb big time. Of course Leon vs Jorge would’ve been great for everyone involved but it’s not the right step for Leon, unless he doesn’t care about being a champ.
#2 Gilbert Burns vs #6 Michael Chiesa
The wrestling of Chiesa with the ground game of Gilbert sounds like agreat standup match. Chiesa coming off a submission loss to Luque will need to stand and bang with Burns. Burns is by far a superior grappler than Luque but not as prolific in the striking department. Also, Burns being ranked #2 is based off of technicalities. He should not be ranked higher than Leon or Luque.
Luque vs Burns can be another good one but they train at the same gym and unless it’s for a title shot, we won’t see that fight happening anytime soon. Looking forward to this weekend to see Max Holloway, self proclaimed best boxer in the UFC, go up against disgruntled employee Yair Rodriguez.