One of the most infamous backstage scuffles in UFC history will be revisited in December, as UFC welterweights Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal have agreed to meet inside the Octagon.
Edwards and Masvidal will square off at UFC 269 on Dec. 11, UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell told ESPN on Thursday. Contracts have not yet been signed, but bout agreements have been sent to both parties.
This fight has held personal implications since March 2019, when Edwards and Masvidal were involved in a backstage incident at a UFC Fight Night event in London. Masvidal struck Edwards in the face after Edwards interrupted him during a postfight interview.
Later in the night, Masvidal would infamously describe the punches he landed on Edwards as a "three-piece and soda."
Masvidal wrote in a tweet Monday: "You're welcome #supernecessary"
You're welcome #supernecessary
— Jorge Masvidal UFC (@GamebredFighter) October 11, 2021
In addition to settling a long-standing grudge, the matchup will have major implications on the welterweight division. Edwards (19-3) is riding a nine-fight win streak and is a strong candidate for a title shot in 2022. Masvidal (35-15) is coming off back-to-back failed title bids against Kamaru Usman in 2020 and 2021 but has said his goal is still to claim the UFC championship.
"Despite earning the next title shot, [Edwards] has always been willing to fight Jorge first, provided the terms were correct," Edwards' manager, Tim Simpson, told ESPN. "We are very happy with the deal, and excited to compete in December, and then for a world title thereafter."
As a result of the UFC adding this high-profile bout to the card, a trilogy flyweight title fight between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo has been moved to UFC 270 on Jan. 22, according to the UFC.
UFC 270 on Jan. 22 does not have an official location yet, but sources told ESPN the promotion is looking at Anaheim, which is only about 100 miles north of Moreno's hometown of Tijuana, Mexico.
A lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier is set to headline UFC 269, which is expected to take place in Las Vegas.