Leon Edwards says Jorge Masvidal was 'the one that got away’

Leon Edwards think he should have fought Jorge Masvidal before Ben Askren did.

One of the most iconic moments of modern MMA history is the backstage squabble between Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal which led to the phrase "Three piece and a soda" being entered into the MMA vocabulary.

Many fans had assumed that Edwards and Masvidal would eventually meet in the Octagon but due to a series of unfortunate events that fight never came to fruition.

Now, years removed from that altercation, Edwards is the champion and Masvidal is retired.

And that's something that isn't going to ever sit right with Edwards.

“That was the fight to make even after the [Ben] Askren fight,” Edwards told MMA Fighting when asked about Masvidal. “That was the fight to make straight away, but for some reason, they didn’t want to make it.

Masvidal shot into mainstream stardom after he KO'd Askren in just five seconds.

“I think [at UFC 287], he showed his age. He’s what, 37 or 38? He looked slow in there. He got fatigued within a round or so. I don’t think either of them looked great, him or Gilbert. Gilbert was just the better man that night, but I think it’s probably good for him to retire.”

Unfortunately, due to Masvidal's recent retirement, it's no longer an option.

“That’s the one that got away. That’s the one I wished happened, the one that fans wished happened, everyone wished that fight happened,” Edwards said. “For some reason, the UFC didn’t want to make it or tried making it and Masvidal turned it down. That’s the fight that definitely got away for sure.”