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Leon Edwards hasn't fought for more than a year with no official fight scheduled in the near future. The No.3 ranked Welterweight contender is currently on a winning streak in one of the most competitive divisions in UFC. However, despite notable victories over some of the most prominent names in the company, it has been hard for Leon Edwards to get a fight and subsequently a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship.
Leon Edwards was scheduled to take on Tyron Woodley, however, the bout fell apart after travel restrictions due to the pandemic made it impossible for the British fighter to travel to the United States.
With Woodley expected to face Colby Covington later this month, and Jorge Masvidal looking at a rematch against Nate Diaz in early 2021, there aren't many interesting options for Leon Edwards going forward.
Additionally, Kamaru Usman is expected to defend his title belt against Gilbert Burns later this year, sidelining any possibility of a title shot in the near future. Recently, Leon Edwards showed interest in a mega-fight against Nick Diaz after the former Strikeforce Champion teased his return to the octagon.
However, Nick Diaz's return is far from official and Leon Edwards has an interesting option in the form of former title contender Stephen Thompson ahead of him.
Leon Edwards should face Stephen Thompson next
Stephen Thompson last competed inside the octagon at UFC 244 against Vicente Luque. He picked up an impressive unanimous decision win to snap his two-fight losing streak. On the other hand, Leon Edwards is coming off a unanimous decision win over former Lightweight champion, Rafael dos Anjos.
Leon Edwards vs Stephen Thompson is an exciting match-up and one that is bound to get the audience pumping. Thompson is a UFC veteran and poses a serious threat to Edward's winning streak. Additionally, it brings two of the best strikers in the UFC against each other. If Edwards can get past Thompson, it would guarantee him a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship.
In a recent conversation with Submission Radio, Thompson praised Edwards and stated that he is a fighter to look out for. Thompson also admired Edwards' grappling and claimed that he deserves to fight for the title.
"I think he is the scariest out of the division, really is. Every time you see this guy fight he gets better. He comes into the UFC as a striker. But he is out wrestling and out grappling guys like RDA. Even Vicente Luque, they fought and he was out wrestling him and taking him down and controlling him on the ground. This guy gets better. He gets better every time you see him. Those are the guys that you really have to watch out for and really have to study for."
Thompson is currently ranked No.6 in the UFC Welterweight rankings and doesn't have a fight scheduled. While Stephen Thompson has already stated that he is not interested in fighting Leon Edwards, and is shifting towards a super-fight against Nick Diaz. However, Wonderboy is ready to take the fight if it comes down to it.
