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Leon Edwards is still not convinced that Colby Covington deserves the next title shot after multiple back-and-forths.
Following his success at UFC 286, Leon Edwards made it clear that he is a legitimate champion and his first win against Kamaru Usman was not a fluke. The Brit dominated Usman for five rounds to win via decision. Immediately after the fight, questions rose of whether Colby Covington was next in line for the title shot, but 'Rocky' dismissed it saying he did not deserve it.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, he spoke about who's next:
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"So it's a difficult time, like I said there's no clear number one contender but we'll see where we're at."
When asked about Colby Covington he said:
"Colby been uninjured, sitting on the sidelines, turning down fights for over a year. Nobody else has done that and earned a title shot from doing that. That's the why not, I feel like if you truly believe you're champion, you should fight all the guys that's been offered to you, the Burns, the Khamzats."
Leon Edwards is not clear about who he wants to fight next because he believes there is no clear contender. However, he believes Colby Covington is the furthest away from a title shot solely due to his inactivity.
Take a look at the interview (Quotes from 09:51 onwards):
Leon Edwards reveals a potential return date and says he will not fight in the UFC 291 card
Leon Edwards fought back in March this year when he successfully defended his title against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286. The champion is now looking to fight again in 2023 but has revealed that he needs some time to recover from his injuries and get into the groove of practicing again. In the same interview with Sky Sports, he was asked about a potential return at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi:
"Perfectly, without a doubt. I feel like without a doubt, it'll be perfect for me, Abu Dhabi, I'll get time to nurse my injuries, I'll get time to get back into it, slowly. So I feel like Abu Dhabi would be perfect for me for sure."
He also went on to talk about how he would not fight in the next UFC event at London and believes Tom Aspinall should headline the main event. Edwards has still not confirmed who he will fight next, but has confirmed he will fight again this year.
Take a look at a clip from the interview:
