Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad squared off in a Welterweight contest earlier tonight (Sat. July 27, 2024) at UFC 304 from Co-Op Live in Manchester, England. In a shockingly dominant performance, Muhammad controlled the vast majority of the fight.
Muhammad opened the main event with a powerful double leg takedown along the fence, timing it well and slamming Edwards to the floor. Edwards used the butterfly guard to stand in short fashion then started landing knees in the clinch before breaking with an elbow. Back in the open, Edwards started landing hard to the body. Muhammad stood his ground and scored some jabs, but Edwards was clearly the sharper range striker and won most exchanges. Just as Edwards started to be taking over on the feet, Muhammad stung his opponent with a couple heavy lead hand punches and scored another takedown along the fence.
All in all, it was a solid round from the challenger, who finished the first in top position.
Muhammad jabbed really well to start the second, using those strikes to set up another double leg shot. This time, Edwards was able to defend and pull his opponent up into the clinch. After some wrestling exchanges, Muhammad landed a massive takedown, spiking Edwards onto his skull. Muhammad was brutally heavy with his control, staying really sticky on his opponent and slowing the fight down. In the final minute, Edwards scored his first takedown of the fight, but he wasn’t able to do enough with it to win back the round.
Muhammad’s pressure was relentless into the third, but Edwards was able to counter with another takedown of his own. He jumped the back, really flipping the script on Muhammad. Edwards hunted for the choke and landed some chipping shots, controlling the position for pretty much the entire third frame.
Edwards landed a heavy combination early in the fourth, but Muhammad got right back to the jab and his pressure. The fence was a huge issue for “Rocky,” who once again found himself getting doubled along the cage. This time, Muhammad was able to take the back fully and lock in a body triangle. It took Edwards most of the round to reverse position, and he didn’t land anything significant before the bell.
With five minutes remaining, “Rocky” needed something massive.
Edwards started the fifth by standing his ground more, but it still took less than a minute for his back to hit the fence. Muhammad ducked right into the same double leg takedown that he shot in the opening minute of the fight, and he once again dragged “Rocky” to the floor. He advanced into back mount quickly, and it really felt like that sealed Edwards’ fate even as three minutes remained on the clock. With 40 seconds remaining, Edwards spun into guard and split Muhammad open with a massive elbow! He finished the round in dominant position, throwing more elbows on the now bloodied challenger.
It wasn’t enough to earn the decision, however, as all three judges awarded Muhammad the victory.
This was both a tremendous win for Muhammad and a seriously disappointing showing from the former champion. For the victor, he lived up to his words! He pressured his opponent from the first bell, and Muhammad’s wrestling level up cannot be overstated. His hands looked unusually fast, and Muhammad’s rigid adherence to the game plan really paid off.
As for Edwards … it just felt like he sleepwalked through half of the fight. He looked sharp for about two minutes in round one, then looked slow for the rest of the fight. That may simply be a consequence of Muhammad’s pressure, but it’s hard not to feel like we didn’t see Edwards’ best here.
Either way, it’s time to “Remember The Name,” because Belal Muhammad is your new Welterweight champion.
Result: Belal Muhammad defeats Leon Edwards via unanimous decision
For complete UFC 304: “Edwards vs. Muhammad” results and play-by-play, click HERE!