After Defiant Leon Edwards Refuses to Fight Colby Covington on London Card, Dana White Takes Massive Step for the Event

UFC welterweight champ Leon Edwards, much to the surprise of fans and analysts, recently shut down the idea of facing Colby Covington in July in what could have turned out to be another massive UFC card to go down in London. In doing so, the 31-year-old also sent out a message to the long line of contenders and Covington especially, that as a champion he would decide the terms of his upcoming title fights. Covington had taken a jibe at Edwards earlier regarding this. ‘Chaos’ claimed that the UFC would strip ‘Rocky’ of the belt should he refuse to defend against it against him.

Responding to this, Dana White, during his post-fight conference at UFC Kansas City, addressed the developments taking place in the welterweight division. White also made an important disclosure on the UFC London card that was slated to take place in July.

Dana White responds to Leon Edwards’ latest statement

The welterweight champ recently made a defiant statement in response to the rumors of him facing Covington in July. Pointing out that he was just coming off a fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286 in March, ‘Rocky’ had addressed his need for some recovery time before confirming his next fight. Importantly, he also hinted that a fight in Abu Dhabi later this year was a much better timeline for him.

When asked about this statement, White declined to give any sort of confirmation on it. “I don’t know about Abu Dhabi, but we’ll see. We don’t know what’s going to happen with that,” he said.

Following this, the UFC boss also confirmed a major change could take place for the UFC card slated in London. When asked if Edwards and his decision to not fight in July meant they will replace the PPV card with a fight night, White affirmed, saying that would indeed be the case.

This will come as a bit of a disappointment for MMA fans in London. The proposed event could have earmarked another blockbuster PPV as the UFC look to capitalize on the growing UK fanbase following the huge success of UFC 286. White’s confirmation that it could change to a fight night is proof that Edwards’ growing stardom is a large driver for ticket sales in UK-based events.

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His adamance to fight on his terms is a clear indication that he is aware of his value to the UFC. He was advised by veteran Nate Diaz to remember his worthwhile negotiating deals with the promotion. It appears ‘Rocky’ has taken this advice, as the Englishman made his stance clear and dismissed suggestions that the UFC would strip him of the title.

Edwards shut down talks of fighting in July against Colby Covington

After Covington’s multiple jibes at him, ‘Rocky’ has finally responded to the American in a recent interview with ‘Sky Sports’. The 31-year-old made a firm statement on the issue saying, “Now I’m the champion, I decide. Colby isn’t a champion. So he doesn’t decide anything,” emphatically shutting down the idea of a fight in July.

For the Leon Edwards camp, a fight later in the year is probably the right move considering that he came off a five-round win in March. While the UFC fans in the UK may have to wait a little longer to see their native hero, a title bout between Edwards and Covington looks like the direction the promotion is heading. All that’s left is a confirmation of the date and location.

What do you think of Leon Edwards’ statement? Do you think he’s made the right move turning down another main event in London? Let us know in the comments.

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