‘Cheap shot’
The backstage fight between Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards may or may not lead to an actual fight in the cage, but it’s certainly something Edwards is interested in. He also doesn’t like the way things went down on Saturday in London.
“I walked over and he tried to cheap shot me, that’s it really,” Edwards told Eurobash. He threw a few cheap shots and then he ran behind security. All the security surrounded us and that was it. He’s making out like he’s some kind of bad boy. I don’t understand, how can you find respect in cheap-shotting somebody and running behind security?”
Edwards also said that police were called to the arena but that he refused to press charges. As for what’s next, it’s a fight with Masvidal or nothing as far as he’s concerned. But if the fight is put together, UFC is going to have to keep them apart until fight night. according to Edwards.
“I don’t know how they’re gonna make a fight between us because I’m telling you it’s going to be on sight. He cannot be in the same area as me or the same hotel as me. I’m going to f*ck this man up…They can’t come to me with nothing else but Masvidal. It’s either Masvidal or a title shot.”
No blame
Despite what happened backstage at UFC London, Dana White doesn’t place the blame for the incident on Edwards and Masvidal. Speaking to Yahoo Sports this week, White said that the promotion should have done a better job of preventing that altercation from happening.
“I do blame my staff,” White said. “There’s never a scenario where you let guys walk up to each other like that backstage. We have enough people backstage that that shouldn’t happen, including security. I’m super disappointed in my whole crew for that one.”
He went on to say that staff should have stepped in as soon as Masvidal started walking towards Edwards. He may be right, but some credit should be given for diffusing the incident quickly, unlike the UFC 229 brawl in the arena that went on for several minutes.
Even though he’s disappointed in the incident and how it happened, White understands that this type of thing seems to come with the territory of MMA fight promotion.
“These things happen. But it’s the fight business and our job is to make sure these things don’t happen onstage, behind the scenes, but sometimes it does. Sometimes things escalate and blow up.”
Wednesday News Digest
–ESPN is reporting that Donald Cerrone vs. Al Iaquinta will headling UFC Ottawa on May 4.
-Ryan Scope vs. Derek Campos was announced for Bellator Birmingham, also on May 4.
–Dana White told Yahoo Sports that Tony Ferguson should not be fighting right now considering his current state and the events that led to a restraining order being filed against him by his wife. “The reality is that right now Tony has a lot of personal problems that he needs to deal with. I don’t think that putting him in a fight right now would be in his best interest. He needs to handle his personal stuff first.”
In case you missed it
–ROUNDTABLE: Is UFC moving pay-per-views to ESPN+ a good move?
–MCGRATH: The rise and stumble of Darren Till
–HYDEN BLOG: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from UFC Fight Night 147
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