What was supposed to be his coming of age has resulted in the Englishman being given the cold on the MMA sidelines, without a dance partner and risking becoming the man who was rather than the man who would be.
Long has been the belief that Leon Edwards was one big win away from glory and spring set up the perfect opportunity for the Birmingham born mixed martial artists to break away from the 170lbs pack.
With Former Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in his headlights - March was set to be the stepping stone for a future title showdown with Kamaru Usman the Coronavirus pandemic and travel restrictions robbed the 29-year-old of his coming out party.
The UFC and Dana White scrambled to reinvent the wheel of how sports events should be made with homegrown talent presented with the opportunity to battle within the octagon with few outside of American soil able to seek access to the country, Edwards meanwhile was left in limbo.
Woodley was paired with Gilbert Burns a former 155lbs fighter with just three wins in the Welterweight division (Alexey Kunchenko, Gunnar Nelson, Demian Maia) the Brazilian however ran through the former title holder and won all five rounds decisively.
A winner, a loser and then there was Edwards.
The world watched as UFC set up the ambitious Fight Island in Saudi Arabia allowing fighters globally to compete against one another following rigorous Covid-19 testing and quarantining.
So far in the Middle East there has been six Welterweight bouts with an extra 15 taking in Las Vegas at the Apex centre highlighting a continuously moving division with few fighters standing still, except Edwards.
It has been reported that current number Five ranked 170lbs kickboxer Stephen Thompson has been presented as a potential fight with talk of current un-ranked Khamzat Chimaev also another opportunity.
As things stand Edwards remains at least one fight away from a title shot in a similar position to where he was in Spring but with other fighters in the top five stepping into the octagon regularly he risks falling down the pecking order and being further than ever.
Who should he fight?
The UFC rankings are subjective and often the next fighter in line may be less deserving than their counterpart sitting a number several numbers ahead of them, as judges' decisions, age and frequency are just some of the factors to take into account.
While Edwards has already earmarked himself as one of the top standouts in the 170lbs class his list of victories is less than impressive compared to others also knocking on the title door.
The 29-year-old can boast an eight-fight unbeaten streak but last fought over 440 days ago against Rafael Dos Anjos who has tasted defeat in four of his last five appearances.
The landscape of his division is incredibly different to just months ago with his former foe Woodley now an afterthought following three consecutive losses, the list of potential free opponents is a shrinking pool.
Stephen Thompson:
Wonderboy has always been heralded as a top competitor and while ranked at no.5 he is one of the few fighters currently without an obvious adversary, the 37-year-old has been loud on social media claiming he wants the Edwards bout - both men may represent the best way to climb the ranking depending on what is on the table.
Colby Covington:
Having fought as recently as mid September, Colby Covington stole the show and may have been Woodley's last opponent as he defeated his former training partner in dominant fashion via a fifth round stoppage. Colby is always an obvious choice for a title shot following his standout bout with Usman in December 2019. With 'Chaos' ranked no.1 and a delay to the Welterweight title being defended this should be the fight that the Englishman demands.
Jorge Masvidal:
'Street Jesus' has wound up in a spotlight of his own, after knocking out fellow Brit Darren Till in 2019 Jorge Masvidal had a backstage altercation with Edwards in which the pair came to blows - the history and narrative for their showdown would be an easy one to package but the ball would likely be in Masvidal's court given the Miami native's star-power.
Take Away
While 2020 has not went the way Edwards would have wanted - his presence in the media has allowed him to slip away into obscurity with few media interviews and a less commanding presence.
The likes of Masvidal, Covington and Burns have called for title shots repeatedly and remained active with a strong record of victories and star power while Edwards is closing in on 500 days since his last competition.
An easy negotiation with Thompson represents his easiest way to get back into the title conversation and with a guaranteed shot potentially on the negotiating table Wonderboy may well be the best option.
With that being said the draw of Covington could still block his path to welterweight gold and if the pair could do battle it would settle any conflict between who is the next number one contender.
However, this is mixed martial arts and as much as White likes to maintain control, if Usman was to lose a minor decision to Burns it would throw the 170lbs division into further disarray highlighting just how difficult a position that these top ranked fighters are in.
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