"He doesn’t want to fight top guys" - Leon Edwards explains why he wasn't shocked with Colby Covington's refusal to fight him

Leon Edwards will finally make his UFC return this weekend against Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC Vegas 21. Ahead of his big octagon return, 'Rocky' explained why fellow welterweight fighter Colby Covington refused to step into the main event slot this weekend.

During an interview with James Lynch, Leon Edwards went off on his rival Covington. Following the withdrawal of Khamzat Chimaev from this weekend's card, Edwards thought 'Chaos' would've stepped up. He said:

“I thought he would’ve stepped up. He talks a lot of s**t on social media. But, when it’s time to fight real fighters he goes running and makes excuses. I wasn’t shocked really, its’ kind of his character."

Leon Edwards added that Covington doesn't want to fight the top contenders and is aiming for a title shot without working his way up.

“He doesn’t want to fight top guys. He wants to sit on the sideline and say he wants a title shot but doesn’t want to work for a title shot. It is what it is.”

Leon Edwards will finally compete in his first UFC fight since 2019

Leon Edwards' last fight in the UFC was in July of 2019. 'Rocky' faced former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos and further extended his winning streak to eight fights with the win over the Brazilian.

Edwards' current run of victories includes wins over the likes of Gunnar Nelson, Donald Cerrone and Vicente Luque. The last time 'Rocky' was beaten inside the octagon was in 2015 when he lost to reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman by decision.

Initially, Leon Edwards was scheduled to fight up-and-coming prospect Khamzat Chimaev. However, the latter's battle with COVID-19 has forced him out of the fight on multiple occasions.