November 11, (THEWILL) – According to UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell, Jorge Masvidal has withdrawn from his scheduled bout against Leon Edwards due to an undisclosed injury.
On December 11, Masvidal was scheduled to fight Edwards in a welterweight encounter at UFC 269 in Las Vegas before the unexpected withdrawal. It is currently unknown whether the fight will be rescheduled or if Edwards will be replaced on the card but the UFC will explore what options are open.
The scheduled fight was a much-anticipated rematch to help settle a score that had been racked up since March of this year. It so happened that after Masvidal’s main event victory against Darren Till at UFC Fight Night, Masvidal got into a backstage brawl with Edwards.
After that incident, Masvidal pushed his way up the 170-pound rankings, but he lost back-to-back fights to Kamaru Usman, each time with the UFC welterweight title on the line. After a loss to Usman in April, the 36-year-old is currently rated seventh in the division.
On the other hand, Edwards is hoping for his moment at a championship after nine straight wins and a no-contest since 2015. Edwards is presently the number 3 contender against the champion Usman at 170 pounds, with the “Nigerian Nightmare” already victorious over the number one and number two contenders, Colby Covington and Gilbert Burns, respectively.
Even if the fight does not take place, UFC 269 will feature plenty of star power, with Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier battling for the lightweight title. Also on the Las Vegas card, Amanda Nunes will defend her bantamweight title against Julianna Pena.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
