Belal Muhammad’s wait may finally be over.
The mixed martial arts (MMA) world has been anticipating the announcement of the next Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight title tilt. Despite a rematch between the champion, Leon Edwards, and Muhammad as the clear fight to make, the promotion has been patient with its booking.
The match up still isn’t official at the time of publishing. However, Edwards’ coach, Dave Lovell, is about as confident as one can be that the rematch will happen in Manchester, England at UFC 304 on July 27, 2024.
“I think it will be Belal next,” Lovell told talkSport. “It’s not written in stone, but 99.9 percent [of me] thinks it will be Belal. Leon is looking forward to the July bill. He starts his camp next week, for a 12-week camp and we are sharpening up our tools to deal with Mr. Belal.”
Edwards and Muhammad first met inside the Octagon in March 2021. Unfortunately for both, an accidental eye poke forced the end of the contest 18 seconds into round two. Muhammad was the affected fighter, rendered unable to continue.
Since then, both have maintained their winning ways and been confident about how a rematch would go.
“I don’t see him wanting to stand with Leon,” Lovell said. “He’ll be looking to grind Leon against the cage, take him down, maul him when he’s down, and probably steal a decision that way.
“If that eye poke never happened, I think Leon would’ve finished him in the second round,” he continued. “To me, analyzing the fight and looking back on it, Belal was looking for a way out and to steal a decision. That eye poke, and the noise he made, literally screaming and crying, it’s funny that he didn’t have to go to hospital, didn’t have any eye damage, so what does that tell you?
“If the medics clear him after the fight, what does that tell you?” he concluded. “He tried to steal a decision, but payback is a b—ch, we’ll see.”