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Masvidal expects to face Edwards with win at UFC 287

Megan Briggs / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Jorge Masvidal is confident the UFC will give him, not Colby Covington, the next welterweight title shot.

Masvidal said he expects to challenge Leon Edwards for the 170-pound belt should he beat Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 on April 8. After Edwards defended the title against Kamaru Usman last Saturday, UFC president Dana White said Covington was next in line.

"I'm fighting Gilbert, then I'm fighting Leon," Masvidal told MMA Junkie Radio. "I'm telling you that's how it's going to play out. I just got some insider information."

Masvidal is ranked No. 11 in the division and is riding a three-fight skid, having suffered a lopsided loss to Covington and two defeats to then-champion Usman.

However, Masvidal is one of the most popular welterweights in the promotion and has a history with Edwards. They got into a scuffle backstage at a UFC event in 2019 - leading to the memorable three-piece-and-a-soda line - and were scheduled to fight in December 2021.

A win over No. 5 Burns would put Masvidal back in the top 10 and into the title conversation. "Gamebred" believes Edwards will recognize the value of defending his belt against him. Edwards said Monday "it makes no sense at all" for him to face Covington next.

"I'm eager to get in there with Gilbert and utterly dismantle him to the point that everybody's begging for me to go and fight Leon," Masvidal said.

"And I know Leon's not an idiot. He knows. He's already fought before and defended the title and stuff, so he knows what a guy like me brings to the table - besides the added beef that we have - and the amount of pay-per-views that we could generate together fighting for that title."

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