Jorge Masvidal Eyes Leon Edwards UFC Return

Jorge Masvidal has identified Leon Edwards as the opponent he would like to face if his talks over a UFC return produce a deal. Masvidal said discussions with the promotion have continued and that the financial side is improving, but he did not announce a signed fight or say that a date has been set. The important development is therefore Masvidal’s stated target: he wants the chance to close a chapter with Edwards that began outside the cage and has never been resolved in a sanctioned bout.

Speaking about a possible comeback, Jorge Masvidal said a return could happen this year or early next year. He framed the decision around receiving the right opponent and the right number, rather than presenting his return as complete. Masvidal also said he could have big news soon, a phrase that leaves room for discussions to continue without confirming their outcome. His mention of Edwards was more definite than the timetable. Masvidal called Edwards a prospect and said Edwards is someone he would like to fight to close that chapter. For now, those comments establish interest, not a UFC booking.

Masvidal’s return talks remain unfinished

Jorge Masvidal’s comments contain two separate points that should not be confused. First, he said he has been talking with the UFC and that the numbers are getting closer and better. Second, he named Leon Edwards as a preferred opponent. Neither point amounts to a completed bout agreement. Masvidal said he is waiting for the right names and the right number attached to them before returning. That distinction matters because Masvidal’s public statement offers a clear direction without supplying the details of an official announcement. There is no confirmed event, date or finalized opponent in his remarks. What is confirmed is that Masvidal sees a possible UFC comeback as an active conversation and that Edwards is the name he has placed at the center of it. The potential matchup carries an existing story, but the next formal step would still need to come from an actual booking rather than from interest alone.

The timing also gives Masvidal’s comments a defined career context. His last MMA fight was a unanimous decision loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 in April 2023. Afterward, Masvidal competed in boxing and lost a decision to Nate Diaz in 2025. The source also notes that Masvidal has been involved with Gamebred FC, which he recently pushed onto DAZN. Those developments show that his public combat-sports activity did not stop after his last UFC appearance, while his stated aim now is specifically a UFC return. Jorge Masvidal would be returning after more than three years away from MMA, according to the source material. That does not establish where he would be placed in the division or guarantee a particular fight. It does explain why his conditions are central to the story: Masvidal said he is weighing both the opponent and the financial terms before stepping back into the cage.

The Edwards history gives Masvidal a clear target

Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards have a confirmed history dating to March 2019 in London. After Masvidal knocked out Darren Till, he crossed paths with Edwards backstage during an interview. Masvidal threw punches in the encounter and later gave the moment its enduring “three-piece with a soda” description. The episode became a prominent part of Masvidal’s public persona, but it did not lead to a fight between the two men. Their careers then took different paths while the matchup remained unmade. Edwards went on to win UFC gold, while Masvidal fought for the welterweight title twice. Those facts give Masvidal’s latest callout context without changing its current status. He is not describing a rematch or a previously contested contest; he is naming an opponent for a fight that has never happened. The appeal of the proposed pairing, based on the supplied material, is the unresolved history attached to it rather than a newly confirmed UFC plan.

• Jorge Masvidal said UFC talks have been active and that the financial terms are getting closer, while stopping short of claiming a signed agreement.
• Jorge Masvidal specifically named Leon Edwards as someone he wants to face, citing a chapter from their 2019 backstage confrontation that remains unsettled in the cage.

Jorge Masvidal has made Leon Edwards the clearest public target connected to his possible UFC return. The callout revives a rivalry with a specific, documented beginning and no in-cage conclusion. Still, Masvidal’s own wording leaves the situation short of a fight announcement: he said negotiations are progressing, but he is waiting for acceptable terms and the right name. Until a bout is formally made, the development is Masvidal’s stated intention to return and his direct preference for Edwards.

Sources: MiddleEasy