The December showdown between Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards is off the table, at least for now.
News of Masvidal’s undisclosed injury was first reported by Brett Okamoto with ESPN on Wednesday (Nov. 10, 2021). Unfortunately, fans will have to wait longer if they are to ever see Leon Edwards avenge the backroom scuffle that saw him eat a three-piece and a soda. Confirming the report, UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell told ESPN that Jorge Masvidal was forced off of the Dec. 11 card due to an undisclosed injury.
Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) vs. Leon Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) is off UFC 269 on Dec. 11, UFC's Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell tells ESPN. Undisclosed injury for Masvidal. No word yet on whether it will be rebooked or UFC will move on. https://t.co/OUNUZtj4oy
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 10, 2021
“Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) vs. Leon Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) is off UFC 269 on Dec. 11, UFC’s Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell tells ESPN. Undisclosed injury for Masvidal. No word yet on whether it will be rebooked or UFC will move on.” Brett Okamoto posted Wednesday on Twitter.
Jorge Masvidal Injured; Leon Edwards Bout In Jeopardy
At the time of this writing, there is no update on whether the 9-fight unbeaten Edwards will remain on the Jan. pay-per-view nor could Campbell comment on the length of time in which Masvidal might be out of competition.
As arguably the most anticipated fight on the UFC 269 card, the two combatants had an infamous run-in back in 2019 after Jorge Masvidal knocked Darren Till out in London, England. Before the reported injury, Masvidal would lose back-to-back contests against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. In their July 2020 encounter, Masvidal would take the bout on short notice but fight to see the judge’s scorecards. However, when the two rematched less than a year later, the results saw Usman’s heavy hands get raised after a missile of a right hand put “Gamebred” out.
It is unclear if Leon Edwards will remain on the pay-per-view. Belal Muhammad and rising UFC star Khamzat Chimaev have both expressed interest in fighting Leon Edwards. As it stands, the main event will feature the return of UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira taking on the #1-ranked Dustin Poirier for gold.
With the unfortunate scrapping of Jorge Masvidal from UFC 269, here is an updated lineup:
Charles Oliveira (c) vs. Dustin Poirier [C]
Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Julianna Peña [C]
Kai Kara-France vs. Cody Garbrandt
Raulian Paiva vs. Sean O’Malley
Geoff Neal vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
Dominick Cruz vs. Pedro Munhoz
Josh Emmett vs. Dan Ige
Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell
Ryan Hall vs. Darrick Minner
Gillian Robertson vs. Priscila Cachoeira
Randy Costa vs. Tony Kelley
Jordan Wright vs. Bruno Silva
Erin Blanchfield vs. Miranda Maverick
Andre Muniz vs. Eryk Anders
Leon Edwards vs. TBD
Who would you like to see Leon Edwards fight with Jorge Masvidal injured?
