Leon Edwards ‘will be STRIPPED’ of UFC title by Dana White if he doesn’t accept Colby Covington fight, says rival
LEON EDWARDS has been warned he’ll be ‘STRIPPED’ of his welterweight title if he refuses to fight Colby Covington.
The UFC brass earmarked the controversial Covington as the second challenger for Rocky’s strap just minutes after he retained his belt against former pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman in London last weekend.
But Edwards has no intention of fighting the former interim 170lbs champion, who UFC supremo Dana White wants to see compete for the belt next.
And Covington reckons White will relieve the Brummie of the belt if he stands firm on his refusal to fight him.
‘Chaos’ told MMA Fighting: “He (Leon Edwards) get stripped [if he doesn’t take the fight]. “He will get stripped.
“He’s not the draw in this division, I’m the draw.
“Look at the numbers from over the weekend, I didn’t even fight and my numbers towered over the main event – those f****n’ nobodies.
“Leon Scott and Marty Fakenewsman, nobody wants to see those guys everything, there’s no personality, no charisma.
“Same thing with Marty, he needs a belt to stay relevant.”
He added: “For Leon to sit there and act like he’s Conor McGregor – you’re not Conor McGregor, bro.
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“You don’t get to call the shots. You’re a nobody, dude.”
Edwards, 31, would have no gripe fighting Covington if he’d been active over the last year.
He said: “I don’t know how that makes sense.
“He hasn’t fought for over a year and a half. Sat out not injured.
“I don’t get how he just slides in for a world title shot when there are other guys in the division that have been active.”
Edwards is hoping his second title defence will be a grudge match with Jorge Masvidal, who attacked him backstage at the O2 four years ago.
He said: “If we are going pay-per-view wise, if Masvidal beats [Gilbert] Burns then that’s the fight to make.
“But I just don’t see how Colby sits out for a year, not injured, and just slides in.
“I had to work through 12 fights to get here. When I was trying to get my title shot people were saying, “Who is he?”
“Now I’m the king. And he’s allowed to jump the line? Like I said, I’m the king. I’ll decide who is next.”