Leon Edwards has endured a frustrating couple of years in his UFC career but he now knows that one more win on his streak will be enough to secure the title shot he craves.
After a series of scuppered fights which most recently saw a bout with Khamzat Chimaev fall apart for a third time, the Brit will take on Belal Muhammad this weekend in Las Vegas in search of what would be his ninth successive welterweight win — and that is a record which Dana White says is worthy of a title opportunity, telling BT Sport during a recent interview that “100 percent” Edwards will be the next man up.
The welterweight title picture remains a little unclear at the moment, with champion Kamaru Usman linked to a September rematch defence against Jorge Masvidal after they complete filming a rumoured season of The Ultimate Fighter. However, given that the winner of that fight most likely wouldn’t be ready until early 2022 at best, Edwards says that he doesn’t want to spend much more time on the sidelines.
Which is why Dana White sees an opportunity to book a fight between Edwards and the division’s antagonist, Colby Covington.
“I don’t remember what the Colby Covington situation was, but we’ll get Colby a fight here soon,” White said when pushed on Edwards’ allegations that Covington turned him down. “Right now, I don’t know [who’s next for him]. We’ll see how some of this stuff plays out, but we’ll get him figured out.”