Leon Edwards weighs in for his fight again Rafael dos Anjos in July 2019. Image Credit: Getty Images
Leon Edwards vs Nate Diaz winner to get title shot after Colby Covington according to Dana White
UFC 263 will feature two title fights as well as an incredibly-high stakes welterweight fight which will see the return of Nate Diaz taking on top contender, Leon Edwards. In what will be a five-round, non-title fight between the two, UFC President Dana White added some more intrigue and interest into the fight after it was postponed last month.
Making an appearance on Submission Radio, Dana White announced that the winner of the fight between Edwards and Diaz will be next in line for a welterweight title fight, after top-contender and former interim champion, Colby Covington. If Diaz were to win there is no question how big of a high-profile fight it would between him and champion Kamaru Usman, while a win for Edwards would extend his winning streak to nine fights.
Dana White reveals winner of Edwards/Diaz gets title shot after Covington:
“Whoever wins is next after Colby.”#UFC263
🎥: https://t.co/UxWGtrtBXt pic.twitter.com/MLpAbJwrKE
— Submission Radio (@SubmissionRadio) June 9, 2021
“Colby’s the number-one contender. We did the Masvidal fight [vs Usman], Usman wanted that fight back. Colby Covington, the fight with Colby and Usman is one of the best fights I’ve ever seen in my life, he’s the number-one contender, it’s the fight to make.”
While the winner between Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz will have to wait their turn for a title shot, the magnitude of this fight can’t be denied, as the UFC went into rare territory and made it a five-round, non-title fight on the PPV card, a move that Nate Diaz pushed for.
“That was something that Nate Diaz, he likes fighting five rounders, and I mean yeah, this is a big fight for those guys, whoever wins is next after Colby.”
The last time Leon Edwards lost a professional MMA fight was to the now reigning champion Kamaru Usman, back when the two met in 2015. Since then, Edwards has gone on his eight-fight winning streak and as it has continued to climb, he’s had difficulties finding opponents, especially in 2020 and the early stages of 2021. His last fight ended in a no-contest against Belal Muhammad due to an accidental eye poke, but now Edwards will get his high profile opponent in Nate Diaz.
