L. Edwards has been removed from the UFC rankings. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
The inactivity of Leon edwards in the UFC ended up having a high cost. Without fighting since July last year, the Englishman ended up losing 3rd place in the welterweight rankings (up to 77kg) and is now outside the elite of the category led by Kamaru Usman.
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Last Tuesday (21), on some platforms, the Englishman's name did not appear among the main athletes in the division. Although today, Edwards is in the top 5, according to the official UFC website, the athlete confirmed to reporter Cole Shelton that, in fact, he was removed due to inactivity.
Considered one of the main names in the welterweight division, Leon is in a great phase in his career. The Englishman currently has a record of eight positive results in a row. His last defeat came in December 2015, when he was defeated by the current champion, Usman.
Although he has prestige, taking into account his recent trajectory, Edwards' relationship with Ultimate is shaky. The athlete had an appointment scheduled this year, on March 21, in England, when he would exchange forces against the former division champion, Tyron woodley. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the show ended up being transferred to the United States and, therefore, Leon stated that he would not travel, for safety reasons.
Since then, the Englishman has found it difficult to have a fight confirmed, as possible rivals have plans for a future title fight, or possible more profitable fights, as is the case with Jorge masvidal, which could promote rematch against Nate diaz.
In a recent interview with 'BT.Sports', the president of Ultimate, Dana White, confirmed that the organization is trying to negotiate a fight for the Englishman. However, no name was suggested.
“I want to give Leon edwards a fight that means something. We are working on it”, stated the agent.
Recently, Leon was challenged by Stephen Thompson, current number five in the group. The Englishman, however, rejected the proposal, considering that it would be more advantageous to face opponents closer to Usman.
Since negotiations for the title fight between Kamaru and Gilbert Durinho were suspended, the Englishman has been trying to convince the Brazilian to have a confrontation to decide that he will face the champion next. Aware of the proposal, the Niteroi native states that he has already achieved the status of challenger and that a fight between them makes no sense.
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