Former two-time UFC title challenger Jorge Masvidal had some harsh words for his rival, Leon Edwards, ahead of their matchup at UFC 269 on December 11.
Masvidal spoke with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani on the latest edition of The MMA Hour and unleashed on Edwards while re-hashing the origins of their rivalry and the altercation that happened between the two backstage at UFC Fight Night 147 in March 2019.
“Where I come from and how I grew up, that guy wouldn’t have lived one day in there,” Masvidal said (h/t MMA Fighting). “In the actual heat of the moment, he never would’ve survived. He would’ve just stayed home the whole time, waiting for his parents to get WiFi or something for him to develop social skills because this guy’s a coward. What he did to me in England showed me everything I ever needed to know about this guy. When you’re talking all this crap and then somebody gets in your face, and you’re hesitant about it? Like, you know exactly what’s going to happen if you come from these places. You see I’m walking toward you and you’re walking toward me, and you’re going to say I assaulted you? That’s coward sh*t. He was saying assault and he originally wanted to call the cops on me, but what would’ve happened? That wouldn’t have looked good for his brand and ‘I’m such a tough guy,’ the thing that he’s trying to proclaim. So that’s when he didn’t want to call the cops. But originally they wanted to press charges on me when you started this f*cking altercation. I’m here doing my own interview, doing my thing, I just got Fight of the Night, I just got Knockout of the Night, and I don’t give a f*ck about you, Edwards — why are you ruining my interview? This is my time to shine — you’re trying to steal that, you’re trying to talk sh*t. Nobody gives a f*ck about you in your own hometown. You just had a fight that night, nobody was even talking about his fight because it was so boring. And he’s just a clout chaser. That’s always what he’s been. I got into this sport because I actually love the sport, I love to fight, I love to compete. This guy got into the sport because, I don’t know, maybe he thought he could score a first date or something with some chick. It’s all going to show on December 11th.”
He continued on to make his intentions clear for the bout with Edwards and that he doesn't expect anything different in terms of the Kingston, Jamaica native's approach when he steps inside the Octagon against Masvidal in December.
“I’m going to try to do everything in my being to end this person,” Masvidal said. “Leon’s going to do everything in himself to do what he’s always done — put his track shoes on and turn it into a track meet and run, and run for dear life. So I don’t care how much of a grudge match it is or what he says, because the guy’s a coward. He’s going to throw punches and run and get on his bike and run and run. I’ll cut the ring off eventually and I’ll land the blows that I need to land on him, slow him down, and I’m going to take him out. But don’t expect a lot out of him as far as the actual fight. He’s going to hit-and-run, I’m telling you.”
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