Tag: leon edwards

Belal Muhammad Labels Champion Leon Edwards As His ‘Easiest Fight’ & Sees ‘Weaknesses’ All Through Welterweight Shark Tank

Belal Muhammad recently claimed that reigning UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards would be a walk in the park for him, suggesting that the division has lost its edge and currently lacks competitiveness. “Remember the Name” is gearing up to challenge Edwards in a highly anticipated rematch for the title in the main event of UFC […]

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Belal Muhammad recently claimed that reigning UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards would be a walk in the park for him, suggesting that the division has lost its edge and currently lacks competitiveness.

“Remember the Name” is gearing up to challenge Edwards in a highly anticipated rematch for the title in the main event of UFC 304, scheduled for July 27 at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England.

Muhammad went on an impressive 10-fight unbeaten streak to secure his long-awaited shot at UFC gold, a goal he has been vocally pursuing for quite some time. During his journey, the 36-year-old Illinois native defeated notable opponents such as Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady, and Stephen Thompson.

Muhammad’s win streak has skyrocketed his confidence, leading him to view the divisional champ as a mere stepping stone…

Muhammad Exudes Assurance Ahead of Edwards Rematch

During a recent interview with Arab News, “Remember the Name” shared his thoughts on his upcoming clash with Edwards. He argued that the welterweight division is sorely lacking in competitiveness and confidently asserted that facing “Rocky” would be his most straightforward bout yet.

“I see weaknesses in a lot of these guys,” Muhammad said. “I don’t think there are going to be easy fights, but looking at this division, Leon is my easiest fight.”

Muhammad further emphasized that his extensive experience and relentless pursuit of improvement will be his greatest assets in the upcoming bout on July 27.

“I’ve had the highest highs and the lowest lows. After every fight, I analyze what I did wrong. I train year-round to be a better fighter. I really think I’m behind a lot of these guys. So I’ve always had that mentality that I’m behind and have to keep learning, growing, and getting better. And I think that’s what separates me from the rest. Every single fight, I come as a different fighter.”

Muhammad initially faced Edwards in a short-notice bout during a UFC Fight Night main event in March 2021. Unfortunately, an accidental eye poke in the second round forced Muhammad to withdraw, resulting in the fight being declared a no-contest.

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Labels Champion Leon Edwards As His ‘Easiest Fight’ & Sees ‘Weaknesses’ All Through Welterweight Shark Tank at MMA News.

Kamaru Usman Calls For Leon Edwards’ ‘Killer’ To Come Out At UFC 304: ‘If You Know You’re The Top Dog…’ 

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman wants to see more from the man who dethroned him back in 2022. Since securing a memorable crowning with a last-gasp head kick knockout back at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City, Edwards has gone on to defend the title successfully twice in a pair of pay-per-view main events […]

Continue Reading Kamaru Usman Calls For Leon Edwards’ ‘Killer’ To Come Out At UFC 304: ‘If You Know You’re The Top Dog…’  at MMA News.

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman wants to see more from the man who dethroned him back in 2022.

Since securing a memorable crowning with a last-gasp head kick knockout back at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City, Edwards has gone on to defend the title successfully twice in a pair of pay-per-view main events opposite Usman and Colby Covington.

And like his trilogy triumph over “The Nigerian Nightmare” in March 2023, the champ’s next assignment will see him headline on home soil.

At UFC 304 on July 27, “Rocky” will make the walk inside Manchester’s newly built Co-op Live arena for his third defense. Looking to bring his divisional rule to an end on this occasion is Belal Muhammad, as they run it back over three years on from a no contest at the Apex.

Among those set to play close attention to how the main event plays out across the pond this month is Usman, and he’s called for Edwards bring out a different “Rocky” on fight night…

Usman Urges Edwards To Prove He’s ‘Top Dog’

While appearing on the ESPN desk to analyse the action at this past weekend’s UFC Fight Night in Denver, Usman looked ahead to his division’s upcoming title joust in Manchester.

“The Nigerian Nightmare” had some good things to say about his former three-time opponent. However, he still wants to see more from Edwards as champion, especially when it comes to showing his “killer” instinct to those pursuing his gold from below.

“I like Leon. You know, being a champion, he definitely has real skills,” Usman said. “But I feel like, as a fan now, I’m as frustrated as a fan because this fight should have happened already. It’s been such a long time ago. But I’m glad we’re finally able to get the fight, and for Leon to actually go in there and prove to people that he is high up on that pound-for-pound list.

“I think it’s a good fight. I like the confident wave that Leon is carrying now. I think he understands the responsibility of being a champion; how you kind of have to train, the mentality that you kind of have to have,” Usman continued. “But just a little thing I would like to see from him is that killer come out. If you know you’re the top dog, you gotta prove it to each and every contender who wants your spot.”

If Edwards’ prediction for fight night rings true, Usman can perhaps expects his advice to be heeded.

While the champ’s two defenses thus far have gone the distance, “Rocky” has vowed to put his rivalry with Muhammad to bed by way of a violent knockout in the UFC 304 main event later this month.

Continue Reading Kamaru Usman Calls For Leon Edwards’ ‘Killer’ To Come Out At UFC 304: ‘If You Know You’re The Top Dog…’  at MMA News.

Ex-champion Kamaru Usman wants to see ‘the killer come out’ of Leon Edwards in UFC 304 title fight

Ex-champion Kamaru Usman wants to see 'The killer come Out' of Leon Edwards in UFC 304 title fightLeon Edwards is less than two weeks away from his next big title defense. Headlining the promotion’s return to…

Ex-champion Kamaru Usman wants to see 'The killer come Out' of Leon Edwards in UFC 304 title fight

Leon Edwards is less than two weeks away from his next big title defense.

Headlining the promotion’s return to Manchester on Saturday, July 27, ‘Rocky’ will put his welterweight title on the line in a long-awaited clash with the division’s top-ranked contender Belal Muhammad.

Leon Edwards

Kamaru Usman, the man Edwards took the title off of with the “kick heard around the world” at UFC 278, offered his assessment of the UFC 304 headliner, suggesting that it’s a tough one to call considering both men have been on the shelf for some time.

Leon Edwards

However, he does believe that a win for ‘Rocky’ will help push his former foe’s name up the coveted P4P rankings.

“I like Leon being a champion, I think he definitely has real skills but as a fan now, I’m frustrated as a fan because this fight should have happened already,” Usman said.

“It’s been such a long time but I’m glad that we were finally about to get the fight and for Leon to actually go in there and prove to people that he is high up on that pound-for-pound list because you know, I got my reservations on the order of that list” (h/t Bloody Elbow).

Leon Edwards’ is often touted as one of the best fighters on the planet courtesy of his technical prowess that has dismantled some of the biggest names in the game. Unfortunately, ‘Rocky’ hasn’t exactly lit up the Octagon with his performances. In particular, his trilogy fight with the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ at UFC 286 and his uneventful showdown with Colby Covington last December.

Usman hopes to see the “killer” in Leon Edwards come out against Belal Muhammad when the champ competes in front of his home country at Co-op Live in the UK.

“I think it’s a good fight, I like the confident way in that Leon is carrying [himself], I think he understands the responsibility of being a champion, how you kind of have to train the mentality that you have to have,” Usman added. “Just a little thing that I would like to see from him is that killer come out because if you know that you’re the top dog, you got to prove it to each and every contender who wants your spot.”

Kamaru Usman is not a fan of leon edwards and Belal Muhammad waiting so long to fight

While neither Leon Edwards nor Belal Muhammad has fought in 2024, ‘Remember The Name’ will be returning after an especially long layoff, having last fought at UFC 288 all the way back in May 2023. On that night, Muhammad scored a big win over Gilbert Burns, extending his unbeaten streak to nine straight.

With the UFC choosing to hand Covington another unearned title opportunity in December, Muhammad opted to sit out instead of putting his spot on the line against another top-10 contender. Some might consider that a smart decision, but Usman believes there are benefits to staying active in the fight game.

“The one thing that I don’t like about this is the layoff, the time that these guys are sitting [out],” Usman said. “This is why boxers are fighting every other month, they’re fighting [often] because that’s how you get into your groove, that’s how you elevate yourself to see if all the stuff that you’ve been working on can actually work.

“When you have these long layoffs and you get in there, your timing is a little bit off, you’re a little gun-shy sometimes, and especially if you’re a champion when you have this long layoff – that mountain of defending starts to get heavier, and heavier, and heavier.”

Leon Edwards

Ex-champion Kamaru Usman wants to see ‘the killer come out’ of Leon Edwards in UFC 304 title fight

Ex-champion Kamaru Usman wants to see 'The killer come Out' of Leon Edwards in UFC 304 title fightLeon Edwards is less than two weeks away from his next big title defense. Headlining the promotion’s return to…

Ex-champion Kamaru Usman wants to see 'The killer come Out' of Leon Edwards in UFC 304 title fight

Leon Edwards is less than two weeks away from his next big title defense.

Headlining the promotion’s return to Manchester on Saturday, July 27, ‘Rocky’ will put his welterweight title on the line in a long-awaited clash with the division’s top-ranked contender Belal Muhammad.

Leon Edwards

Kamaru Usman, the man Edwards took the title off of with the “kick heard around the world” at UFC 278, offered his assessment of the UFC 304 headliner, suggesting that it’s a tough one to call considering both men have been on the shelf for some time.

Leon Edwards

However, he does believe that a win for ‘Rocky’ will help push his former foe’s name up the coveted P4P rankings.

“I like Leon being a champion, I think he definitely has real skills but as a fan now, I’m frustrated as a fan because this fight should have happened already,” Usman said.

“It’s been such a long time but I’m glad that we were finally about to get the fight and for Leon to actually go in there and prove to people that he is high up on that pound-for-pound list because you know, I got my reservations on the order of that list” (h/t Bloody Elbow).

Leon Edwards’ is often touted as one of the best fighters on the planet courtesy of his technical prowess that has dismantled some of the biggest names in the game. Unfortunately, ‘Rocky’ hasn’t exactly lit up the Octagon with his performances. In particular, his trilogy fight with the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ at UFC 286 and his uneventful showdown with Colby Covington last December.

Usman hopes to see the “killer” in Leon Edwards come out against Belal Muhammad when the champ competes in front of his home country at Co-op Live in the UK.

“I think it’s a good fight, I like the confident way in that Leon is carrying [himself], I think he understands the responsibility of being a champion, how you kind of have to train the mentality that you have to have,” Usman added. “Just a little thing that I would like to see from him is that killer come out because if you know that you’re the top dog, you got to prove it to each and every contender who wants your spot.”

Kamaru Usman is not a fan of leon edwards and Belal Muhammad waiting so long to fight

While neither Leon Edwards nor Belal Muhammad has fought in 2024, ‘Remember The Name’ will be returning after an especially long layoff, having last fought at UFC 288 all the way back in May 2023. On that night, Muhammad scored a big win over Gilbert Burns, extending his unbeaten streak to nine straight.

With the UFC choosing to hand Covington another unearned title opportunity in December, Muhammad opted to sit out instead of putting his spot on the line against another top-10 contender. Some might consider that a smart decision, but Usman believes there are benefits to staying active in the fight game.

“The one thing that I don’t like about this is the layoff, the time that these guys are sitting [out],” Usman said. “This is why boxers are fighting every other month, they’re fighting [often] because that’s how you get into your groove, that’s how you elevate yourself to see if all the stuff that you’ve been working on can actually work.

“When you have these long layoffs and you get in there, your timing is a little bit off, you’re a little gun-shy sometimes, and especially if you’re a champion when you have this long layoff – that mountain of defending starts to get heavier, and heavier, and heavier.”

Leon Edwards

Michael Page Gives Grim Assessment Of Ian Garry’s Title Chances After UFC 303: ‘Leon’s Gonna Kill You…Shavkat’s Gonna Kill You’ 

Having shared the cage with him at UFC 303, Michael “Venom” Page doesn’t see Ian Garry reaching the top of the welterweight division. The pair collided in the main card opener of the International Fight Week pay-per-view on June 29 in Las Vegas. The three-round affair was widely branded somewhat lackluster, with the Irishman utilizing […]

Continue Reading Michael Page Gives Grim Assessment Of Ian Garry’s Title Chances After UFC 303: ‘Leon’s Gonna Kill You…Shavkat’s Gonna Kill You’  at MMA News.

Having shared the cage with him at UFC 303, Michael “Venom” Page doesn’t see Ian Garry reaching the top of the welterweight division.

The pair collided in the main card opener of the International Fight Week pay-per-view on June 29 in Las Vegas. The three-round affair was widely branded somewhat lackluster, with the Irishman utilizing his grappling to edge frames one and three on the scorecards.

The result marked the latest addition to Garry’s undefeated professional record and moved his UFC slate to 8-0, cementing his top 10 spot in the process.

While “The Future” has confidently expressed that he’ll now move on to focusing on those above him in the pecking order and the title, “MVP” is confident he’ll soon have his résumé blemished…

Page Didn’t Feel A Future Champion Against Garry At UFC 303

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Page looked back on the defeat he suffered in what marked just his second fight competing on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage following a decade in Bellator.

The Londoner expressed frustration with his performance inside T-Mobile Arena, suggesting the result was more down to his own shortcomings than Garry’s efforts inside the Octagon.

With that in mind, Page didn’t feel like he was squaring off against a sure-fire future champion. Far from it, in fact. “Venom” recalled facing someone who would get “killed” by UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards and top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov.

“Not all. No,” Page said when asked if he sees Garry as a future champion. “Because if that’s the game you’re going to (use) when you get a decent striker, then Leon is going to kill you anyway, then Shavkat is going to kill you anyway. There’s a few guys in there that I just don’t see him surpassing. … Even in some of the areas, he didn’t feel massively strong. I’m not even trying to be disrespectful to him, because again, he’s done his job, he was smart about how he kind of went by it. But for me, regardless, this game for me is about combat. It’s about fighting. Not about stealing wins.

“Even like I said, that last round, I didn’t necessarily need to stand up or need to let him stand up. I could’ve stayed there and just dragged it out and potentially got a better score in the third round and maybe that would’ve swayed it, but that’s not the game I’m in. I’m in a combat game. Like, I want to cause damage, I want to hurt people,” Page continued. “So yeah, I don’t see him progressing to the top. I think he’s talented. I think he’ll always be around there, top 10, top five, and then he’ll keep losing out to certain people. But he is still talented, and obviously he’s got a loads of time to progress and get better anyway.”

Garry no doubt feels differently, having frequently insisted that a title crowning on MMA’s biggest stage is inevitable. He’ll look to prove that when he returns to action, potentially against one of the names mentioned by Page.

Post-UFC 303, the Irishman had the name of Rakhmonov on his lips. While he got a positive response from “Nomad,” it remains to be seen if the UFC will share the same outlook and pair them together next.

Continue Reading Michael Page Gives Grim Assessment Of Ian Garry’s Title Chances After UFC 303: ‘Leon’s Gonna Kill You…Shavkat’s Gonna Kill You’  at MMA News.

Kamaru Usman Slams Henry Cejudo For Suggesting Nate Diaz Walks Into UFC Title Shot Next: ‘You Were Two-Division Champ & Fought Merab!’

Following his win over Jorge Masvidal in boxing this past weekend, Nate Diaz expressed interest in avenging a previous loss of his. Diaz is keen to run it back with the current UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, despite no longer being signed to the promotion. He faced “Rocky” back at UFC 263 in his second […]

Continue Reading Kamaru Usman Slams Henry Cejudo For Suggesting Nate Diaz Walks Into UFC Title Shot Next: ‘You Were Two-Division Champ & Fought Merab!’ at MMA News.

Following his win over Jorge Masvidal in boxing this past weekend, Nate Diaz expressed interest in avenging a previous loss of his.

Diaz is keen to run it back with the current UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, despite no longer being signed to the promotion.

He faced “Rocky” back at UFC 263 in his second to last appearance inside the Octagon, where he lost the fight via unanimous decision.

During a recent podcast, former UFC champions Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman disagreed on whether this rematch taking place is a possibility.

Henry Cejudo & Kamaru Usman Debate Nate Diaz Walking Straight Into A UFC Title Shot

Cejudo believes that given the name value and attention that Diaz brings to the table, he could potentially step back into a title shot. He said on the Pound 4 Pound podcast that a rematch with Edwards could potentially happen if both sides wanted it.

“He called out Leon Edwards for the strap at 170-pounds, you don’t think Dana would give it to him? You don’t think Dana would give him that fight? Remember dude, the UFC is an entertainment company and if he’s able to bring those pay-per-view numbers and especially if a guy like Leon Edwards calls for the fight, he could potentially get it.”

Usman, interrupted his podcast co-host, passionately disagreeing with Cejudo on the options that are currently available to Diaz.

He used Cejudo’s own career as an example of why the Stockton fighter wouldn’t be able to jump right back in at the top in the UFC, despite his profile.

“Let’s get serious here Henry, what?! You think, ‘Oh yes I want to fight Leon Edwards’ and he just jumps in and he gets a title shot? Are you serious? Come on Henry. Henry you were two-division champion and you came back and you fought Merab so basically, you had to earn the shot at Sean O’Malley. So you’re saying that he should just definitely come in and get it just because he has numbers?”

Usman also countered the point made by Cejudo regarding the narrative of the fight between Edwards and Diaz that went down in 2021.

Despite dominating the fight, the Brit had to face some adversity in the final moments of the contest after being caught clean by his opponent.

Usman does not believe that this one aspect is enough for a rematch to make sense between them at this stage in both men’s careers.

“He landed it, it was an incredible punch but that does not warrant him all because of that. He had one moment in the fight, we’re going to give him a title shot just because… get serious bro!”

Continue Reading Kamaru Usman Slams Henry Cejudo For Suggesting Nate Diaz Walks Into UFC Title Shot Next: ‘You Were Two-Division Champ & Fought Merab!’ at MMA News.