Leon Edwards called out my UFC legend who is set to end three-year MMA hiatus

Jorge Masvidal would love nothing more than to settle his long=time rivalry with Leon Edwards in the cage.

Masvidal, who hasn’t fought since April 2023 when he suffered his fourth straight defeat against Gilbert Burns, has been in negotiations with the UFC over an imminent return.

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The 41-year-old famously punched former welterweight champion Edwards after UFC London in March 2019 and the pair have never settled their differences.

Masvidal names Edwards ahead of return

Speaking to MMA Junkie this week, Masvidal named Edwards as ‘somebody I would like to get back in with’ when discussing his UFC comeback.

“I’ve been talking to the UFC,” Masvidal said.

“[My return] could be this year, could be early next year. We’ve been talking for a little bit, and the numbers are getting closer and closer and better and better.

“So there might be some big news coming soon. Nothing worth mentioning yet, waiting for the right names and stuff.

“Once they give me the right name and the right number attached to that, you’ll see your boy right back over here at the T-Mobile Arena.

“Leon is definitely somebody that I would like to get back in with and just close that chapter out.“

The likelihood of Edwards vs Masvidal

With Edwards also riding his own losing streak in the UFC, Masvidal could prove a lucrative opportunity for ‘Rocky’ when he returns to the Octagon.

Edwards hasn’t won in the UFC since defending the welterweight title against Colby Covington in December 2023.

He dropped the belt to Belal Muhammad seven months later in Manchester before suffering the first stoppage of his career to Sean Brady at UFC London last year.

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Last time out, the Birmingham native then tasted his first KO defeat up against fellow top-ranked contender Carlos Prates, who looks set to fight Islam Makhachev for the welterweight belt next.

And although Edwards would doubtless be a big favourite among the oddsmakers if the UFC booked a fight against Masvidal, he’s much more likely to prefer a ranked opponent.

After all, Edwards is still only 34 and the likes of Alex Pereira and Alexander Volkanovski have proved in the last year you can still win undisputed titles well into your thirties.

Of course, Edwards will still believe he can make his way back to the top.

A more suitable opponent could come in the form of Uros Medic, who has surged into the top 10 at welterweight this year following four consecutive first-round KOs.

One slightly less threatening option might be those ranked lower, such as No.15 Daniel Rodriguez, who was stopped by Medic at UFC Belgrade earlier this month, or No.14 Kevin Holland.

talkSPORT's UFC pound-for-pound rankings

talkSPORT.com has collectively voted on the best fighters to form a regularly updated UFC pound-for-pound (P4P) rankings system for the rest of 2026 and beyond.

Our P4P list will be updated regularly based on performances in the Octagon — with wins, records, title wins and defences, calibre of opponents, methods of victory and much more all determining who makes it.

UFC champions Islam Makhachev, Tom Aspinall and Sean Strickland feature – but big stars such as Alex Pereira and Arman Tsarukyan miss out.

Looking up the rankings, No.7 Muhammad, who hasn’t won since defeating Edwards to win the UFC welterweight crown, would provide Edwards the chance to cement his status as a contender at 170lbs.