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Leon Edwards was called out by Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson after neither seemed to be getting potential fights. If the fight were to happen, it would be #3 ranked Leon Edwards against #5 ranked Stephen Thompson.
Leon Edwards has been calling out four of the top five of the Welterweight division, but all of them either seem to be booked or simply uninterested. Leon Edwards was asked about Stephen Thompson's call-out and shut down the idea when talking to MMA Fighting:
“As far as Wonderboy, he got knocked out like a fight ago,” Edwards said. “[Anthony] Pettis knocked him out one fight ago. If I go out there right now and I fight Wonderboy and I beat Wonderboy the UFC will be like ‘let’s go one more in the top-five and then we’ll go for a title.’ They wouldn’t give me a title shot straight away."
Leon Edwards justified it by stating that he would need to beat one of the top five contenders. He explained that fighting Wonderboy does nothing for him:
“For me to get to the world title, which is my aim and my dream, is to beat one of those top-four [guys]. I have to fight someone in the top-four to get my title shot,” Edwards added. “I’ve done all the Wonderboy fights. I’ve been there, done it. I’m on an eight-fight win streak now. I don’t need to go fight someone like Wonderboy. He does nothing for my career."
Is Leon Edwards going to get any other fight in the Top 5?
When looking at the Top 5 scenario of the Welterweight division and UFC's plans, it doesn't look good for Leon Edwards. Colby Covington, ranked at #1, is expected to face #4 ranked Jorge Masvidal. #2 ranked Gilbert Burns will be getting his deserved title shot against Kamar Usman next, which only leaves Stephen Thompson.
We don't believe that Leon Edwards is shying away from facing Stephen Thompson, but this could simply be a negotiation tactic on his part. If he doesn't take a fight soon, it will be a long period of inactivity for him. The biggest obstacle for Leon Edwards is the fact that he has so little buzz around him despite being undefeated since late 2015.
