Leon Edwards Blasts ‘Deluded’ Belal Muhammad: He Talks Like He Was Winning The First Fight

UFC Welterweight Champion Edwards goes off on his upcoming foe Belal Muhammad.

Leon Belal 304
(via @leonedwardsmma, @bullyb170 - Instagram)

Leon Edwards doesn’t really know what Belal Muhammad is on about.

The long wait for the title shot paid off for the #2 UFC Welterweight contender as he is set to square off with the champ Edwards on July 27th. That’s right, the undeniable Muhammad will enter enemy territory when he takes on Edwards in the main event of UFC 304 from Manchester, England. 

Muhammad isn’t waiting til fight week to talk trash, making the media rounds ahead of time, razor-confident that he’ll be the one to dethrone Edwards.

Edwards Responds, Brings Up Their First Fight

Of course, “Rocky” doesn’t see it that way with the welterweights already having shared the Octagon once before, back in 2021. The first fight between Edwards and Muhammad didn’t last long with an accidental eye poke ending the fight with a no-contest result. However, Edwards won the first round against Muhammad and makes sure to remind his rival of that very fact, years later.

“Deluded. He’s talking a lot of s***, so make sure you can back it up,” Edwards told Red Corner MMA what he thought of Muhammad’s confidence going into UFC 304. “Like I said, he’s been off over a year. The way he talks is like he was winning the first fight, so a bit deluded, but like I said, he best be ready. It’s going to be a hard, long, hard, tough fight for him in Manchester.”

‘I Was Just Getting Started’

Before the eye poke ultimately stopped their fight, Edwards had outstruck Muhammad in the first round with 19 significant strikes getting through for the Brit as opposed to Muhammad’s 8. 

While they are years removed from their first encounter with plenty of time for Muhammad to fix his mistakes, Edwards believes it’ll be one-way traffic yet again when he rematches “Remember The Name” in the UFC 304 headliner.

“I don’t know [what Muhammad saw from that fight],” Edwards continued. “Like I said, the fight, round one went my way comfortably. I was just getting started, and then the eye poke happened. Obviously hurt him in the first round. I feel like he’ll just be too slow for me. Too slow, too predictable, too flat footed. So, let’s see.”

Edwards Touts A Better Opponent Than Muhammad

Despite Belal Muhammad’s recent success at 170lbs (a nine-fight win streak), Leon Edwards doesn’t think his next title challenger is the best fighter he’s ever faced. For Edwards, that honor would have to go to the former UFC Champion Kamaru Usman – who he thinks would beat any name on his current resume.

Probably Kamaru, I feel like,” Edwards said. “He was the pound-for-pound #1 guy in the world at the time when I beat him. He’s well rounded, strong, powerful. So, I’ll probably put Kamaru in that.”

Published on June 25, 2024 at 6:04 pm
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