Jorge Masvidal is targeting a welterweight title fight against long-time foe Leon Edwards if he beats Gilbert Burns at UFC 287.
American Masvidal and Britain’s Edwards clashed during a backstage altercation in London in 2019.
Edwards has since gone on to dethrone Kamaru Usman and defended his title against the same opponent last month.
Masvidal, 38, faces Brazil’s Burns in Miami on Saturday looking to halt a three-fight losing streak.
“I never underestimate anybody that has two hands and two feet but I don’t stop thinking that after this fight I’m going to England,” said Masvidal.
“I’m going to use that belt to beat it over Leon’s head and then come back to this great country and defend that belt.
“It’s in the back of my mind definitely. But first eliminate [Burns] in impressive fashion and there will be talk of nobody else fighting [for the belt] but me.”
UFC president Dana White said last month that American Colby Covington, who weighed in as the back-up fighter for UFC 286’s main event in March, would be next in line to challenge Edwards.
However, 31-year-old Edwards disagreed with that decision, pointing out Covington had not fought in more than a year, and arguing his own back story with Masvidal makes that a bigger fight.
During Thursday’s news conference, White opened the door to a potential Edwards v Masvidal bout, saying “we’ll see how this fight turns out on Saturday and the best-case scenario is one of these guys [Covington, Masvidal or Burns] are next”.
Masvidal was set to fight Edwards in December 2021 but pulled out with injury.
Despite his last win being over Nate Diaz in 2019, Masvidal is 11th in the welterweight rankings and remains one of the biggest draws on the UFC roster.
He believes a convincing win over Burns will lay the foundations to finally make the bout with Edwards.
“Last I checked the UFC is a pay-per-view-selling business,” said Masvidal.
“Colby has never broken 300,000 PPVs in his life except when he fought me. Leon’s not a pay-per-view draw, so as long as I do my job Saturday, everything else will fall into place.”
‘A lot of evaluation will take place if I lose’
Masvidal will be fighting in his hometown of Miami for the first time in 13 years when he faces Burns inside the Kaseya Center in the co-main event.
A veteran of 51 fights, Masvidal began his career in 2003 and has been in the UFC for a decade.
He has 18 finishes in total, including the fastest knockout in UFC history when a flying knee stopped Ben Askren inside five seconds in 2019.
Despite a distinguished career, he has never won a UFC title, losing twice to then-champion Usman in 2020 and 2021.
Masvidal says defeat against Burns, who is fifth in the UFC welterweight rankings, could leave him considering retirement.
“It’s not a diss on Gilbert. I’ve always felt throughout my career I’d match up well with him at any point, but I am coming off three losses,” he said.
“One of those fights [against Usman in 2020] had interesting circumstances as I took a fight on six days’ notice, but then I suffered two more losses and if I take a fourth, a lot of evaluation has to take place.
“I’m not going in there thinking it’s my last fight but with emotions running and four losses in a row… I’ve been in this sport 20 years.
“I’ve got more knockouts than these guys have fights but it’s a rather long journey and my body doesn’t have a lot of wear and tear left.”
Alex Pereira’s middleweight title defence against Israel Adesanya headlines Saturday’s card.
The pair are meeting for a fourth time with Brazil’s Pereira winning all three previous bouts which include two in kickboxing and one in MMA.
Elsewhere Raul Rosas Jr, who at 18 became the youngest fighter in UFC history when he beat Jay Perrin in December, faces Christian Rodriguez in his first main-card appearance.
