Leon Edwards expects to immediately be placed in a trilogy fight should he defeat reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman in their eventual rematch.
Since Jorge Masvidal was forced to withdraw from their match at UFC 269, Edwards has been in limbo waiting for his next fight. To make matters worse, the coronavirus pandemic ruined several promising matchups for Edwards, including Tyron Woodley and Khamzat Chimaev.
For some time now, he has called out the pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman to be next in line for a title shot. And it seems he will finally get his wish, as Dana White says Edwards is “100 percent” next to fight Usman.
Usman beat Edwards back in 2015 by unanimous decision. Back then, they fought on the early preliminary card. Obviously, both fighters have grown since their first meeting inside the Octagon.
For starters, Edwards went on to defeat nine opponents, back to back. Meanwhile, Usman has remained undefeated in the UFC and has taken down some of the division’s best—a couple more than once.
But Edwards is far from worried. He plans to beat Usman and claim the welterweight throne when they battle again.
Not only that, Edwards believes the only fight that can happen next is their trilogy match.
“I believe so. I believe so. When I go out there and beat him, like I said, he’s been a dominant champion for a little while now, so when I go out there and take the belt off him, I can see #3 happening straight away. And from there, we’ll figure out what’s next,” said Edwards in an interview with MMA Junkie.
With some fighters such as Weili Zhang, Deiveson Figueiredo, and the legendary Stipe Miocic getting instant rematches for title fights in the past, Usman receiving one as well is a strong possibility.
For now, there is no date set in stone for Usman vs Edwards, but the bout is expected to be booked this summer, potential during International Fight Week.
What are your thoughts on Leon Edwards expecting a trilogy match immediately following his potential victory against Kamaru Usman?
