Masvidal: Edwards struggling to get title shot because 'he's not a fighter'

Leon Edwards is riding a 10-fight unbeaten streak, but the No. 3-ranked welterweight still doesn't appear to be next in line for a title shot against Kamaru Usman.

Jorge Masvidal, who twice had an opportunity to dethrone Usman in the past year, has a theory about why Edwards hasn't found himself in a UFC title fight.

Edwards dominated Nate Diaz at UFC 263 last weekend, but it marked the seventh decision in his past nine victories. Masvidal thinks the 29-year-old lacks killer instinct and isn't getting rewarded by the UFC as a result.

"It was a good fight, good performance I thought. Leon does what he does," Masvidal told reporters Thursday, according to The Mac Life. "He keeps asking for more money and more things, but he's not a finisher, he's not a fighter.

"He was winning happily, and he wasn't willing to put himself in a risk to go out there and get those finishes. That's why I don't think he's in the position he wants to be in because he's not going out there and fighting every second of every minute. He's a very skilled guy, but he just doesn't have that grit and that meanness in him to go out there and beat up a top contender the way he should."

After Saturday's pay-per-view event, UFC president Dana White declared that Colby Covington was still the No. 1 contender and would face Usman in his next outing. Covington has won one fight since losing to Usman in a 2019 title bout.

Masvidal, who's coming off a knockout loss to Usman in April, said he's targeting an Octagon return in October or November and wants to face a top-five welterweight.