Who’s Next for Leon Edwards? UFC Welterweight Champion Rejects Colby Covington Fight

• Dana White announced that Leon Edwards will next defend his title against Colby Covington
• Edwards rejected that bout, with the 31-year-old wanting to fight Jorge Masvidal next instead
• Masvidal's next fight is against Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 this coming April 8 in Miami, Florida

It was a historic evening in London.

Leon Edwards silenced the doubters, defeating Kamaru Usman in their trilogy fight on Saturday night to retain his UFC welterweight championship.

“Rocky” impressed in his first title defense, winning by a majority decision in front of a packed crowd at the O2 Arena.

Edwards’ win cemented his status as the new king of the welterweight division and has sparked interest in his plans.

UFC 286: Welterweight champ Leon Edwards settles trilogy with majority decision win over Kamaru Usman

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Sports Brief created a list of potential opponents for Edwards.

Colby Covington

Dana White has decided who Edwards’ next opponent will be. The UFC boss confirmed after the trilogy fight that Colby Covington would get another crack at the welterweight championship, per Yahoo! Sports.

White said that Covington deserves the fight and “he’s the second- or third-best guy in the world.” Usually, that’s the end of the discussion, but White’s announcement didn’t sit well with the reigning champ.

Edwards made it clear he should be the one making a choice and not White, saying, "I'm the king; I’ll decide who is next.” He added that the Covington fight doesn’t make sense as he hasn't fought for more than a year and a half.

Jorge Masvidal

So who does Edwards want for his next title defense? According to the champ, the fight to make pay-per-view wise is with Jorge Masvidal.

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UFC

Edwards said that’s the one he wants as he doesn’t like Masvidal. He labeled “Gamebred” a weirdo, adding that he thinks it would be an easy fight for him.

Edwards said it’s weird that White is pushing for Covington to be his next foe, as there is no storyline for that fight. There is bad blood, though, between Edwards and Masvidal. The feud started in 2019 when Masvidal sucker-punched Edwards behind the scenes.

Gilbert Burns

Burns is the third and least likely option for Edwards’ next title defense. He will face Masvidal at UFC 287, with the winner of that bout in a prime position to earn a title shot in the welterweight division.

Burns has won eight of his last ten fights, including a first-round submission victory over Neil Magny in his previous bout at UFC 283. He recorded the win via an arm triangle finish. Burns improved his MMA record to 21-5.

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Edwards retains title at UFC 286

Sports Brief recently reported on Edwards' win at UFC 286 against Usman.

Two judges scored the fight 48-46 in favor of Edwards, while the other ruled it a 47-47 tie.

Edwards outlanded Usman in total strikes, 123-113, on Saturday.