Leon Edwards believes Belal Muhammad's improvements will make 'no difference' when the pair meet in the main event of UFC 304.
The UFC Welterweight champion will face Belal Muhammad in front of a UK crowd, at the Co-op Live Manchester, at UFC 304. The card is already shaping up nicely with the likes of Tom Aspinall vs Curtis Blaydes, Arnold Allen vs Giga Chikadze, Muhammad Mokaev vs Manel Kape & Bobby Green vs Paddy Pimblett all already confirmed.
The bout won’t be the first time the two have met, having first squared off at a UFC Fight Night in March 2021, with the fight ended in unfortunate fashion when an accidental eye poke from Edwards in the second round meant Muhammad could not continue. Since then, the pair have had several back and forth on social media but Edwards is looking forward to putting the rivalry to bed. He told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s episode of the MMA Hour:
“The guy has been a nuisance on social media for the longest, so 100%. I've been trying to fight Belal now for a while. Like I said, I got asked for 300. I said yes to everyone, three opponents, I said yes. I even said, what about Belal? And they were like no. I was like, I'll fight whoever you know, because I know that the card is such a huge card and it would have done great for my career and I said I'll fight whoever there is I even said after them three said no. I said, Oh, what about Belal? And they wouldn’t entertain it.”
Since their last contest both men have been in fine form, with Edwards picking up four wins and the Welterweight title in the process and Muhammad having his hand raised five times. In an honest assessment of the situation, Edwards believes Muhammad has improved but the Brit is still confident enough in his ability to stop the American second time round.
“He has improved, I can't be deluded and approach it as if it’s the first fight because it's not but his improvements will make no difference come fight night. I feel like I'm just much better athlete, technical, everything, mentally, everything, I feel I’m better and that just is what it is, you know I feel if we fight ten times I should be him ten times now and July will be the second time fighting him, I'm going to take him out."
Last time out, Edwards faced Colby Covington at UFC 296. Although the bout was another big moment in his career, ‘Rocky’ admits that the whole fight week is not something he particularly looks back on, largely due to the distasteful nature of the comments made by Covington about his late father.
“I haven’t really watched the fight back or nothing I just feel like that fight was just cause I didn't like that one bit and I was just an annoying guy and obviously what went on at press conference and everything that went along with it. Well, like I said is it is I'm over it now and I'll move forward.”
Whilst UK and Irish MMA is arguably at the greatest height it has been, Edwards has had many a name from the shores put to him but he admitted to Helwani that a showdown with Conor McGregor, should he make it past Michael Chandler, would be
“100% Why not? Let's give him the opportunity to become three division world champion. Give me an opportunity to take out a guy like Conor McGregor, New York. That’d be perfect. That is the fight. You know, I feel like he goes out there, take out Michael. I'll take out no one remembers his name and then we'll go from there.”
Watch the full interview below:
