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Belal Muhammad Explains Why He’s Happy To Kick Leon Edwards When He’s Down

Belal Muhammad recently shared why he still relishes trading verbal jabs with Leon Edwards, even after securing a victory over “Rocky”. Muhammad scored a controlling unanimous decision win over Edwards, capturing the UFC welterweight crown in their much-anticipated rematch in Manchester this past July. The clash at UFC 304 was a re-run, as their first […]

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Belal Muhammad recently shared why he still relishes trading verbal jabs with Leon Edwards, even after securing a victory over “Rocky”.

Muhammad scored a controlling unanimous decision win over Edwards, capturing the UFC welterweight crown in their much-anticipated rematch in Manchester this past July.

The clash at UFC 304 was a re-run, as their first meeting in March 2021 ended in controversy when a brutal eye-poke from Edwards prevented “Remember the Name” from continuing past the second round, resulting in a no-contest.

Muhammad was riding an impressive 10-fight unbeaten streak, boasting victories over tough opponents like Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady, and Stephen Thompson. However, despite his dominant run, he had to tirelessly campaign for over a year to secure a title shot, as “Rocky” and his team continuously dismissed him as an unworthy challenger for the belt.

“Remember the Name” faced a barrage of criticism and skepticism throughout his journey, and since toppling Edwards at UFC 304, he hasn’t held back in voicing his disdain…

Muhammad’s Grudge Against Edwards Stems From Being Overlooked

During a recent interview with UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping, Muhammad was questioned why he continues to take digs at Edwards even after decisively defeating him. The newly crowned welterweight champion explained that his frustration with the Jamaican-born Brit arose from being repeatedly dismissed in the title conversation.

Now that he’s beaten “Rocky”, Muhammad says Edwards’ teammates have begun making excuses, which only fuels his desire to keep taking shots at his former opponent.

“It got to me, it pissed me off,” Muhammad said. “And that’s why even now, where I hate to even bring up fights, when I beat a fighter, I never want to kick a man when he’s down. But Leon, I’ll kick when he’s down, I don’t care. I’m gonna make him pay because they said I wasn’t worth it, they said he was gonna walk through me, they said I was going to be an easy fight.”

“And for me to go out there and beat him the way I did, and now for him to go ghost—nobody even knows what happened to him—and for his team to come out with little excuses, like saying, ‘Oh, he had a bad back the whole time,’ and Leon comes out and says, ‘Oh, I didn’t get good sleep,’ like bro, just own up to it. I was better than you. I am better than you. That’s the difference between great fighters and the ones that fizzle out—they always come up with excuses for every loss.”

Since his recent victory, Muhammad has elevated his trash-talking game, regularly firing back at critics on social media. The 37-year-old Chicago native has also been locked in a heated war of words with former champion Kamaru Usman, stoking the flames for a potential showdown, while also teasing his first title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Read More: Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Coach: ‘King’ Belal Muhammad Turned The Tables On UFC

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Jorge Masvidal Reveals UFC Response After Requesting Leon Edwards Fight For Return

After his loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 last year, Jorge Masvidal appeared to take his curtain call in MMA, retiring from competition after a lengthy career that featured a sudden rise to superstardom in 2019. But it now seems that Masvidal truly i…

Continue Reading Jorge Masvidal Reveals UFC Response After Requesting Leon Edwards Fight For Return at MMA News.

Jorge Masvidal Hints at UFC Return; Eyes Michael Chandler, Leon Edwards Fights

Jorge Masvidal is pursuing a return to the UFC on the heels of his loss to Nate Diaz inside a boxing ring in July. Masvidal told MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin…

Belal Muhammad Told To Hand Out ‘A Couple Of 10-7s’ To Ian Garry On Social Media: ‘But Keep The Wife Out Of It…’

Josh Thomson and “Big” John McCarthy recently offered insightful counsel to Belal Muhammad, urging him to elevate his mic game and suggesting that sharpening his verbal skills could be the key to skyrocketing his popularity. “Remember the Name” realized his dream of dethroning welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 304 last month at the Co-Op […]

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“Remember the Name” realized his dream of dethroning welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 304 last month at the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester. This showdown marked their second clash, following their initial encounter in March 2021, which ended in a no-contest after an accidental eye-poke prevented Muhammad from continuing beyond the second round.

Although Muhammad has consistently showcased his prowess in the Octagon, evidenced by his impressive 11-fight unbeaten streak, he seems to lack the gift of gab—a skill many UFC fighters masterfully wield to sell fights and win the hearts of fans.

However, the newly crowned UFC welterweight champion appears to have shifted his approach in recent times, as evident on his X account, where he’s been unleashing unrelenting jabs at his naysayers. For the past few days, he’s been locked in a heated war of words with former long-reigning champion Kamaru Usman.

Muhammad’s revamped strategy has certainly caught the attention of Thomson and McCarthy, who view it positively but believe he can still fine-tune his verbal game even further…

Thomson & McCarthy Believe Muhammad’s Edwards Victory Was Two-in-One Success

In a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast with McCarthy, Thomson delved into Muhammad’s rising popularity following his victory over Edwards. The former UFC lightweight champion remarked that “Remember the Name” has undeniably silenced his critics with this win, solidifying his place among the sport’s elite.

“I think overall he’s doing a great job because if you look, the one knock—not one, there were two knocks on him—interviews were cringe, okay? Like, ‘oh, it’s just too much; he’s forcing it too much, and he’s a boring fighter,’” Thomson said. “I’m sorry, he stood toe-to-toe with Leon, had some great wrestling, had some good standup—he fought a great, well-rounded fight. He’s a true MMA fighter, and he’s proving that now. Put him on the mic, maybe just take away the mic then if you don’t like what he has to say, but man, he’s lighting up Twitter right now.”

“The Punk’ also noted how Muhammad is now playfully clapping back at his trolls on social media, adding a new dimension to his public persona.

“He’s crushing X, and I love it. I love that he’s smashing dudes, I love that he’s handing out L’s, I love that he’s dishing out 10-8 rounds. I want to see a couple of 10-7s to Ian Garry, though. I’d like to see that—if he can hand a 10-7 to Ian Garry, I’d like to see it because that’s another guy who’s very cringe. They’ve got to take the mic away from that guy.”

McCarthy nodded in agreement with Thomson’s remarks and playfully suggested that if Muhammad ever engages in a war of words with Garry, he should steer clear of bringing up his spouse in the trash talk.

“Okay, I’m all for him handing out a 10-7 to Garry, but keep the wife out of it.”

Since his victory, Muhammad has welcomed the prospect of facing Shavkat Rakhmonov for his first title defense, while simultaneously sparring with Usman in a heated social media back-and-forth.

However, with “The Nigerian Nightmare” reeling from three consecutive losses, a title shot seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Garry, who remains undefeated and vocal about his ambitions for a title fight, could soon find himself in the welterweight title mix.

Read More: Brendan Allen On Long Title Run For Belal Muhammad At Welterweight: ‘A Lot Of Switches That Need To Be Flipped’ (Exclusive)

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Belal Muhammad: There’s ‘Turmoil’ Between Leon Edwards & Coach After UFC 304 Loss

UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad had to wait three years to get his shot at a rematch with Leon Edwards. After their first fight ended in a no contest due to an eye poke, both men put together impressive winning streaks before meeting against at UFC 304. In that time, Muhammad was very open about […]

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UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad had to wait three years to get his shot at a rematch with Leon Edwards.

After their first fight ended in a no contest due to an eye poke, both men put together impressive winning streaks before meeting against at UFC 304.

In that time, Muhammad was very open about his dislike of Edwards for not wanting to fight him, but with that being said, he was honest about a potential trilogy fight between them.

“Rocky” could seemingly put himself back in the title picture with a bounce-back win, and the champion acknowledged that.

Belal Muhammad Questions Whether Leon Edwards Will Recover From Loss & Corner Conflict

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Muhammad gave his thoughts on the current state of the 170-pound division and whether he expects to cross paths with Edwards once again.

He believes that whilst “Rocky” can certainly put his name back in the mix if he goes away and beats a fellow top contender, he doesn’t know whether that will happen.

Muhammad said that it will be an uphill battle for the former champion to come back as the same fighter with the same hunger, after what took place in Manchester.

He also made reference to how Edwards could be dealing with a fractured team after what happened inside the Octagon on July 27.

The Brit’s head coach Dave Lovell, in trying to motivate his fighter, asked him whether he wanted him to wave the fight off and call it a night to which Edwards seemingly told him to “shut the f*** up”.

Muhammad said that this factor may mean it’ll take some time before Edwards is on his radar once again.

“There’s not a lot of guys that you’re looking at like this is a clear number one contender, this guy’s clear number one contender, so Leon could go out there, get one win and if it’s a huge win, there’s a possibility that he could get his name back in the mix. But, it all just comes back mentally.

“I don’t know if him and his coach are gonna have like a break-up party now because they looked pretty bad in the corner right. There’s a lot of turmoil there so I feel like there’s gonna be a lot of blame and a lot of embarrassment coming from that team and a lot of just embarrassment from himself.”

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad: There’s ‘Turmoil’ Between Leon Edwards & Coach After UFC 304 Loss at MMA News.

Belal Muhammad Decides: Kamaru Usman or Shavkat Rakhmonov next?

With Belal Muhammad now sitting atop the welterweight division, ex-titleholder Kamaru Usman may have found his way back in….

With Belal Muhammad now sitting atop the welterweight division, ex-titleholder Kamaru Usman may have found his way back in.

Having lost back-to-back bouts against Leon Edwards, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ has been stuck sitting on the outside looking in. That’s no longer the case after Muhammad delivered a dominant five-round showing against ‘Rocky’ to claim the 170-pound crown at UFC 304 in Manchester. Now, ‘Remember The Name’ has an assortment of potential contenders lining up.

Of them, the two most intriguing appear to be Usman and undefeated finisher Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Speaking with ESPN’s Heidi Androl while attending Saturday’s UFC event in Abu Dhabi, Muhammad was asked to choose who he’d rather face between them.

“Any one of them,” Muhammad replied. “Usman, obviously, I think, for legacy. He was one of the biggest names in the division. He’s under GSP, and I think he’s still got treading on the tires even though he lost a close fight to Leon and then a really close fight to to Khamzat. And like I said, I think name value, he has a bigger name.”

“But also, I wanna fight the boogeyman. The boogeyman that everybody says could beat anybody. He’s gonna walk through anybody. And the way my career has been, they’ve always been putting me as underdog.”

“I knew even after beating Leon, they would say, ‘Well, Shavkat will walk through him. He can’t do that to Shavkat.’ I’m just gonna keep doing it,” he added. “I’m gonna do it to every single one of the fighters in the division. Dana White’s just gotta give me a a time and a date, and I’m ready to go” (h/t MMA Mania).

Belal Muhammad plans to defend his title in 2024

Muhammad plans to be an active champion, targeting a return in either November or December. But first, he’ll have to heal up after eating a nasty elbow from Edwards in the closing seconds of their title tilt.

“The stupid nose thing in the last 10 seconds, I gotta get this healed up,” he said. “Once it’s healed up, I’ll get back in the gym, get back to work.”

Muhammad’s win over Edwards extended his unbeaten streak to 10, a run that dates back to his win over Curtis Millender at UFC 236 in April 2019. It was the first loss for ‘Rocky’ in more than eight years.