Edwards, Masvidal agree to fight at UFC 269
A welterweight bout between Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards is being finalized for UFC 269 on Dec. 11, UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell told ESPN's Brett Okamoto.
The fight will feature three rounds, according to MMA reporter Ariel Helwani.
"Despite earning the next title shot, Rocky has always been willing to fight Jorge first, provided the terms were correct," Edwards' manager told Okamoto. " ... We are very happy with the deal and excited to compete in December and then for a world title thereafter."
Masvidal is currently on a two-fight skid, with both of his losses coming to Kamaru Usman. The 36-year-old, who's currently the sixth-ranked welterweight, last fought in April.
Meanwhile, Edwards is riding a 10-fight unbeaten streak. The No. 3-ranked welterweight defeated Nate Diaz at UFC 263 in June after his March bout versus Belal Muhammad was ruled a no-contest. The 30-year-old won seven of his last nine fights by decision.
Masvidal and Edwards have had issues outside the Octagon. The two fighters had a memorable altercation backstage at UFC London in 2019 when Masvidal threw punches at Edwards. The pair have since called each other out several times, with Masvidal saying in June that Edwards is struggling to get a title shot because "he's not a fighter."
UFC 269, the last pay-per-view event of 2021, already features several highly anticipated fights, including the women's bantamweight title bout between champion Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena. A second title fight between lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and No. 1 contender Dustin Poirier is also reportedly expected to join the card.
The promotion initially set the final flyweight bout in the Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo trilogy for UFC 269, but they moved the fight to UFC 270 on Jan. 22, UFC officials told Okamoto.