UFC 279: Leon Edwards will '100 per cent' give Nate Diaz a title shot if he beats Khamzat Chimaev

Leon Edwards has revealed he will ‘100 per cent’ give Nate Diaz a title shot if he beats Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279.

Edwards finally got his hands on the UFC welterweight title by finishing former pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman by fifth-round knockout in the main event of UFC 278 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on August 21.

Rocky’s last-gasp victory set up the prospect of an immediate rematch with Usman, the former all-conquering welterweight champion, who was considered by many to be the best mixed martial artist in the world.

But, despite Edwards previously stating that Usman deserves a second chance, he recently admitted that Diaz could be the next man in line for a shot at the gold if he defeats Chimaev in two weeks’ time.

During an appearance on The MMA Hour earlier this week, he said: “The scenes would be crazy.

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“I would 100 per cent give Nate a shot, because Nate’s a G. I always said it, even after the fight: He is who he is.

“He’s one of the greatest. The game has never changed him. So if that does happen then Nate’s definitely getting a shot.”

Edwards, 30, was visibly overcome with emotion after

He added: “Everyone keeps asking me, ‘How does it feel?’ but it’s hard to put into words.

“I think that’s why in my post-fight interview I was just crying, because it’s hard to — not just the moment of winning the UFC world championship, but getting to that point or achieving my dream, going through all the ups and downs throughout life and throughout my career.

“It’s still difficult to put into words. It still feels so surreal. It doesn’t feel real sometimes.  

“When you watch movies and you see people cry from happiness, I’ve never cried