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Belal Muhammad On Why Five-Round UFC 304 Main Event Favors Him: ‘He Literally Threw 60 Strikes Against Colby & Gassed Out!’

Belal Muhammad will challenge Leon Edwards for the UFC welterweight championship in the main event of UFC 304 on July 28, 2024. The former is riding an impressive nine-fight win streak and has defeated the likes of Gilbert Burns, Stephen Thompson, and Vicente Luque. Muhammad’s primary weapon has been his wrestling. However, he also showcased […]

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad On Why Five-Round UFC 304 Main Event Favors Him: ‘He Literally Threw 60 Strikes Against Colby & Gassed Out!’ at MMA News.

Muhammad’s primary weapon has been his wrestling. However, he also showcased his striking prowess by knocking out Sean Brady. On the flip side, Edwards is considered one of the best strikers in the UFC and he’s nullified Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington’s wrestling in his two title defenses.

“Remember the Name” and “Rocky” fought previously in March 2021 but the fight was ruled a no-contest due to an eye poke. Here’s how Muhammad plans to win the rematch and why he’s confident about doing so…

Belal Muhammad Claims Leon Edwards Doesn’t Have The Tools And Cardio To Beat Him

Muhammad appeared on the Weighing In podcast hosted by “Big” John McCarthy and Josh “The Punk” Thomson recently. While discussing his next fight, he outright discarded Edwards’ cardio by using the Covington bout as an example. The champion landed 57 significant strikes and had around 90 seconds of control time.

“It’s still only one round. So people could say, make their excuses, but, there’s not even need for me to make excuses because it was only one round there’s still four more rounds to go.”

The challenger seems unbothered by Edwards succeeding on the feet in the first round of their previous fight. He claims to have the advantage in a five-round battle.

“Remember The Name” then also took a sly dig at “Rocky” for not being aggressive enough against an opponent who disrespected his family.

Muhammad is riding high on confidence ahead of his first chance at winning UFC gold. He isn’t worried about anything that Edwards brings to the Octagon and plans to shut the kingpin’s gameplan down over five rounds.

“Bro, he literally threw 60 strikes against Colby and gassed out in the fifth round. I’m looking at this guy, like bro, you’re a dominant striker, this guy disrespected your family, your father, and you still went out there and only threw 60 strikes against a guy with, you know, cardio kickboxing striking. It is hilarious that they call this guy the sniper, the killer, this and that. But when I look at his fights, when I look at his matches, I don’t really see nothing that I can’t walk through.”

Muhammad has been out of action since May 2023, waiting for his title shot. However, he’s been training with UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, convincing many fans that his wrestling has improved drastically.

Read More: Former UFC Champ Lays Down How Khamzat Chimaev Can Fight The Winner of Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya Over Sean Strickland

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad On Why Five-Round UFC 304 Main Event Favors Him: ‘He Literally Threw 60 Strikes Against Colby & Gassed Out!’ at MMA News.

Leon Edwards “Ain’t got time for that Mickey Mouse business” Coach responds to Nate Diaz

Leon Edwards "Ain't got time for that Micky Mouse business" Coach responds to Nate Diaz Leon Edwards has much bigger fish to fry. This Saturday night, July 27, ‘Rocky’ will return to the Octagon…

Leon Edwards has much bigger fish to fry.

This Saturday night, July 27, ‘Rocky’ will return to the Octagon in his home country seeking a successful third defense of his welterweight world title. Standing in his way will be streaking division standout and the top-ranked contender at 170, Belal Muhammad.

Recently, Edwards found himself at the center of a callout from former foe and UFC fan favorite Nate Diaz after the TUF alumnus scored a majority decision victory over Jorge Masvidal in Anaheim.

Nate Diaz calls out Jake Paul and Leon Edwards #masvidaldiaz pic.twitter.com/OibFzxYp2O

— Delinquent MMA (@DelinquentMMA) July 7, 2024

“My main objective is to be the best fighter in the world so I wanna go back and get a UFC title. Leon Edwards, Jake Paul…You’re dead,” Diaz said.

Keeping his eyes on the task at hand, ‘Rocky’ hasn’t had much to say about Diaz’s comment, but Edwards’ coach, Dave Lovell, made it clear that the champ has more important things to worry about. Lovell also suggested that Diaz should have left the fight game a long time ago, citing all the punishment he’s absorbed over his two-decade-long run.

“It’s all a joke. Leon ain’t got time for that Micky Mouse business right now, bruv,” Lovell told Submission Radio. “Nate is making money still and fighting, but me personally I think he needs to leave the game alone. He’s taken a little bit too much punishment now…This guy’s got a life after fighting.”

Nate Diaz and Leon Edwards delivered an instant classic in their lone UFC meeting

Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz met once on MMA’s biggest stage, squaring off in a critically acclaimed clash at UFC 263 in March 2021. While ‘Rocky’ led the dance for the majority of the five-round affair, Diaz tagged Edwards late in the fifth round with a booming right hand that had the UK star stumbling.

Diaz poured it on for the final minute but was able to secure the finish and came up short on the scorecards.

Perhaps we’ll see the two run it back inside the Octagon once Leon Edwards’ days of reigning over the welterweight division are over.

Alexander Volkanovski Predicts UFC 304 headliner Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad

After a fairly timid performance against Colby Covington in his last outing, Alexander Volkanovski believes Leon Edwards is going…

After a fairly timid performance against Colby Covington in his last outing, Alexander Volkanovski believes Leon Edwards is going to let his hands go when he steps inside the Octagon this Saturday night.

Emanating from Co-op Live in Manchester, ‘Rocky’ will put his welterweight world title on the line against top-ranked contender Belal Muhammad in the UFC 304 headliner.

After bringing the belt back to the UK via his shocking “kick heard ’round the world” against Kamaru Usman at UFC 278, Edwards defended the crown against the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ in an entertaining trilogy bout before offering up a somewhat uninspired, albeit successful showing against the aforementioned Colby Covington.

This time around, former featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski believes ‘Rocky’ will be more likely to let his hands go, giving fans something to feast on as he performs in front of his home country for the first time since his threequel with Usman.

“I think [Leon Edwards] is gonna let his hands go, which is gonna make him a lot more dangerous,” Volkanovski said in a video on his YouTube channel. “‘Cause when he does let his hands go, he’s good. Leon Edwards is really good. Even just watching his training, hitting pads. You can see there’s power in his kicks.”

Both UFC gold and a couple of impressive unbeaten streaks are on the line between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad

Aside from UFC gold, a couple of long-standing win streaks will be on the line this Saturday night in the Capitol of the North. Leon Edwards enters the bout having won his last 12 fights dating back to a 2016 win over Dominic Waters.

Meanwhile, Belal Muhammad has built an impressive nine-fight win streak spanning the last five years. In his last four outings, he has bested Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, Vicente Luque, Sean Brady, and Gilbert Burns — all members of the welterweight top 15 with Thompson, Brady, and Burns residing in the top 10.

Their UFC 304 headliner will also serve as a rematch after their first meeting at a Fight Night event ended in the early moments of round two due to an inadvertent eye poke perpetrated by Edwards.

Belal Muhammad Downplays UFC 304 Opponent Leon Edwards’ Résumé: ‘To Get The Title Fight, He Fought Nothing But Lightweights!’

UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad thinks his path to the belt was a lot tougher than champion Leon Edwards’. The pair are set to headline this weekend’s UFC 304 pay-per-view event inside the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England, where Muhammad will look to upset the home fans by ripping the 170-pound title from “Rocky’s” […]

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Downplays UFC 304 Opponent Leon Edwards’ Résumé: ‘To Get The Title Fight, He Fought Nothing But Lightweights!’ at MMA News.

UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad thinks his path to the belt was a lot tougher than champion Leon Edwards’.

The pair are set to headline this weekend’s UFC 304 pay-per-view event inside the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England, where Muhammad will look to upset the home fans by ripping the 170-pound title from “Rocky’s” grasp.

Since their first fight ended in a No Contest over three years ago, Edwards has worked his way to the gold and subsequently defended it successfully twice to date. “Remember the Name,” meanwhile, has extended his unbeaten run to 10 with five straight wins over Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque, Sean Brady, and Gilbert Burns.

That run has left many branding Muhammad the clear number one contender, and some even calling him the most deserving challenger in UFC history. Edwards, however, seemingly hasn’t been too impressed and recently downplayed some of his opponent’s results.

Unsurprisingly, Muhammad has returned the favor…

Muhammad Insists He Boasts Tougher Strength Of Schedule Than Edwards

During a recent interview with Kevin Iole, Muhammad looked ahead to his long-awaited first opportunity at achieving champion status on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

The #2-ranked welterweight had his attention turned to Edwards’ remarks about his winning run and fired back in kind, suggesting that “Rocky” fought nothing but 155lbers to secure his 2022 title shot.

“When I look at his résumé for him to get the title fight, he fought nothing but lightweights,” Muhammad said. “Donald Cerrone, RDA, Nate Diaz. Like, okay? Look at the guys that I beat, when I beat them. Gilbert Burns was on a two-fight winning streak. Luque was on a five or six-fight winning streak when I beat him. Sean Brady was on a 15-fight winning streak when I beat him. ‘Wonderboy’ was like 3-1 out of his last four fights when I beat him. Demian Maia was like 3-1…

“He can say whatever he wants, but I know what I had to do to fight those guys,” Muhammad continued. “And when I trained for those guys, every single one of those camps I picked up something different, right, because I had to train for a grappler, then I had to train for a striker, then I had to train for a guy who knocked me out before. Every single one of those guys, every single one of those camps, I evolved as a fighter. … I fought the best version of them and I got the best version of myself out of it.”

Muhammad will look to demonstrate that evolution since the unfortunate ending to his and Edwards’ first clash when they run it back in Manchester this weekend.

And when it comes to achieving that feat, “Remember the Name” isn’t short on confidence. The challenger has vowed to unseat “Rocky” inside the distance, with him and his manager claiming he won’t even require the championship rounds at UFC 304.

Read More: UFC Commentator Labels Belal Muhammad ‘Deluded’ For Pre-UFC 304 Comments About Leon Edwards

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Downplays UFC 304 Opponent Leon Edwards’ Résumé: ‘To Get The Title Fight, He Fought Nothing But Lightweights!’ at MMA News.

VIDEO: UFC 304 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2 & Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes 2

Fight week for the UFC 304 pay-per-view this Saturday night has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode. Under the spotlight in this edition is the headliner between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad and the co-main event between Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes. Saturday’s lineup is topped by a championship rematch, with welterweight kingpin […]

Continue Reading VIDEO: UFC 304 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2 & Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes 2 at MMA News.

Fight week for the UFC 304 pay-per-view this Saturday night has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode.

Under the spotlight in this edition is the headliner between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad and the co-main event between Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes.

Saturday’s lineup is topped by a championship rematch, with welterweight kingpin Edwards (22-3, 1 NC) looking to add a third successful defense to his reign, which got underway with a victory over Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 in August 2022. He’s since retained possession of the belt by getting the better of Usman again and Colby Covington in 2023.

If “Rocky” is to continue his rule atop the 170-pound mountain, he must record a victory over Muhammad (23-3, 1 NC) at the second time of trying. The pair first collided in a UFC Fight Night main event back in 2021, which ended prematurely when accidental eye pokes left “Remember the Name” unable to continue. He’s since won five straight over Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque, Sean Brady, and Gilbert Burns to finally earn his first shot at gold.

Before those two run it back in the main event at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, another home fighter will put his title on the line in a rematch.

Two years on from a devastating knee injury handing him his first UFC loss, interim heavyweight champion Aspinall (14-3) will look to right that wrong by leveling the score with Blaydes (18-4, 1 NC). In defense of the strap he captured with a thunderous knockout of Sergei Pavlovich last November, Aspinall is tasked with preventing “Razor” following his TKO of Jailton Almeida with first-time title glory on July 27.

Ahead of those two contests across the pond, fans can catch previews in the full episode of UFC 304 Countdown on the promotion’s YouTube channel.

UFC 304 Countdown: Full Episode

Continue Reading VIDEO: UFC 304 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2 & Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes 2 at MMA News.

Photos – Leon Edwards shows off ripped physique ahead of UFC 304 title fight with Belal Muhammad

Just a week out from his next defense of the undisputed welterweight crown, Leon Edwards has shown off a…

Just a week out from his next defense of the undisputed welterweight crown, Leon Edwards has shown off a ripped physique as he prepares for a rematch clash with Belal Muhammad in a return to Manchester.

Edwards, the current undisputed welterweight champion, returns to action next weekend headlining a title fight doubleheader at UFC 304 in Manchester, searching for his third successful defense of the 170lbs title.

Last time out, the fan-favorite Birmingham technician made lightwork of former interim champion, Colby Covington in the pair’s title grudge fight last December, outworking the Clovis native over the course of five rounds in a one-sided decision shutout victory.

Taking on the surging, Muhamamd in a main event fight at the UFC Apex facility back in 2020, Edwards forced a second round doctor’s stoppage after an inadvertent eye poke left the Illinois native unable to compete, resulting in an official ‘No Contest’ clash en route to his championship run.

Leon Edwards shows off shredded physique ahead of UFC 304 return

And ramping up training in recent weeks in preparation for his showdown against Muhammad at the Co-op Live arena in England, Edwards has shown off a ripped physique as he returns to his native UK in search of another victory on home soil.

Weighing up his immediate options off the back of next weekend’s title with Muhammad, Edwards – who has been the subject of much speculation regarding a title defense against pound-for-pound number one and lightweight best, Islam Makhachev, spoke of how soon a pairing could materialize.

“For sure, for sure,” Leon Edwards said of a title fight with Islam Makhachev. “I feel like we’ve both got work to do within our division… We’re both on similar paths so I can see that happening in the future. I would like to move up as well, and challenge for the middleweight belt.”

Who wins at UFC 304 next weekend: Leon Edwards or Belal Muhammad?