Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker believes Belal Muhammad will have a lot of struggles against Leon Edwards at…
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker believes Belal Muhammad will have a lot of struggles against Leon Edwards at UFC 304.
Muhammad is set to challenge for the welterweight title in the main event of UFC 304 against Edwards. It’s an intriguing matchup and heading into the fight, Muhammad has oozed with confidence that he will be able to dominate the Brit to win the title.
However, Whittaker thinks Edwards will be too good for Muhammad and should cruise to a win, as he expects the champ to pick apart Muhammad.
“I can see like two possibilities,” Whittaker said on his MMArcade Podcast (via MMANews). “The first one, Leon Edwards, just being too good. I think the caliber of fights Leon Edwards has had is different from Belal Muhammad’s. Fighting Usman twice is huge, especially when he fought him the first time; that was good. Fighting Colby, like Colby, is a nightmare for everyone, and he was just able to shut him down so well with spectacular spacing. It’s very hard to find a hole, especially, you know, if we compare it to when he fought Nate Diaz, right? And we saw that hole get exposed in the later round or fights before that.”
“I feel like he’s tightened up to a whole new degree, further than he was then, and especially in that last fight, I was so super impressed with just how clean he was. There wasn’t really anything to pick apart; there weren’t any holes or glaring weaknesses to exploit for Colby.”
Robert Whittaker believes Belal Muhammad will struggle to push the pace
A key part of Belal Muhammad’s game is his cardio and his ability to push the pace. However, against Leon Edwards, Robert Whittaker thinks Muhammad will struggle to push the pace against Edwards.
“I find that sort of fight going to be hard for Belal Muhammad, who, you know, is not spectacular in any one field. He’s kind of just really high level at all of them, in my opinion. He’s amazing at everything, but I feel like his greatest strength is that he’s well-rounded. He can take the fight in any direction to get the win. But I think he’s going to have trouble trying to push that sort of game plan on Leon Edwards,” Whittaker said.
With Whittaker thinking Muhammad will struggle to push the pace, he believes that will lead to Edwards getting the win to remain the welterweight champ.
Robert Whittaker recently commented that, despite their remarkably parallel win streaks, Belal Muhammad’s résumé doesn’t quite measure up to that of Leon Edwards. “Rocky” is scheduled to defend his welterweight title against Muhammad in a rematch set as the main event of UFC 304. The upcoming showdown will take place this weekend at the Co-op […]
Robert Whittaker recently commented that, despite their remarkably parallel win streaks, Belal Muhammad’s résumé doesn’t quite measure up to that of Leon Edwards.
“Rocky” is scheduled to defend his welterweight title against Muhammad in a rematch set as the main event of UFC 304. The upcoming showdown will take place this weekend at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.
After their first encounter, “Rocky” secured a title shot by defeating Nate Diaz at UFC 263 and went on to knock out Kamaru Usman to claim the welterweight championship at UFC 278 in August 2022. Currently, Edwards is riding high on a 13-fight unbeaten streak, marked by victories over notable names such as Donald Cerrone, Rafael dos Anjos, and Colby Covington.
Meanwhile, Muhammad had to work his way up the rankings, putting together a five-fight win streak (part of a broader 10-fight unbeaten streak) to finally earn a title opportunity. During his journey, the 36-year-old has triumphed over formidable opponents like Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady, and Stephen Thompson.
Whittaker Sees Edwards As More Improved Than Muhammad
During his recent appearance on the MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker weighed in on the clash between Edwards and Muhammad. “The Reaper” noted that the Jamaican-born Englishman has exhibited remarkable evolution in his fighting style compared to his opponent since their no-contest meeting.
“I can see like two possibilities,” Whittaker said. “The first one, Leon Edwards, just being too good. I think the caliber of fights Leon Edwards has had is different from Belal Muhammad’s. Fighting Usman twice is huge, especially when he fought him the first time; that was good. Fighting Colby, like Colby, is a nightmare for everyone, and he was just able to shut him down so well with spectacular spacing. It’s very hard to find a hole, especially, you know, if we compare it to when he fought Nate Diaz, right? And we saw that hole get exposed in the later round or fights before that.”
“I feel like he’s tightened up to a whole new degree, further than he was then, and especially in that last fight, I was so super impressed with just how clean he was. There wasn’t really anything to pick apart; there weren’t any holes or glaring weaknesses to exploit for Colby.”
Whittaker further acknowledged “Remember the Name’s” impressive credentials but remarked that Muhammad would struggle to match Edwards’ relentless pace.
“I find that sort of fight going to be hard for Belal Muhammad, who, you know, is not spectacular in any one field. He’s kind of just really high level at all of them, in my opinion. He’s amazing at everything, but I feel like his greatest strength is that he’s well-rounded. He can take the fight in any direction to get the win. But I think he’s going to have trouble trying to push that sort of game plan on Leon Edwards.”
Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has backed Sean Strickland’s claim to a title shot, as noise regarding Robert Whittaker getting the next opportunity instead continues to increase. Even prior to his victory last month, Strickland felt hard done by having been overlooked by the promotion for Dricus Du Plessis’ first title defense this summer. […]
Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has backed Sean Strickland’s claim to a title shot, as noise regarding Robert Whittaker getting the next opportunity instead continues to increase.
Even prior to his victory last month, Strickland felt hard done by having been overlooked by the promotion for Dricus Du Plessis’ first title defense this summer. “Tarzan,” of course, lost the middleweight belt to the South African by narrow margins at UFC 297 in Canada this past January.
He then begrudgingly accepted a bout with Paulo Costa, outpointing the former title challenger in a lackluster five-round co-main event at the UFC 302 pay-per-view in Newark. In the immediate aftermath, Strickland laid down his stance by insisting that he’ll only make the walk for a title fight next time out.
Cormier Asks: Why Are People ‘So Quick To Discredit’ Strickland?!
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Cormier gave his take on the major topics currently appearing in mixed martial arts headlines, including Khamzat Chimaev’s push for a middleweight title shot.
Cormier questioned how Strickland keeps being left out of the discussion over who could fight the winner of Du Plessis vs. Adesanya. Ironically, “DC” initially left Strickland out himself and branded the victor of a potential Chimaev vs. Whittaker fight as next in line.
“Khamzat vs. Robert Whittaker to determine who’s next. You know what, or Sean Strickland,” Cormier said. “I don’t understand how Sean Strickland keeps getting forgotten. He does everything he’s supposed to do. He wins the fights. He was the number one contender. He should not always seem to be put on the backburner.
“He beat Paulo Costa better than Robert Whittaker beat Paulo Costa,” Cormier continued. “Rob goes and has that crazy fight in Saudi Arabia and we immediately start talking about him as the number one contender. What about Sean Strickland? I don’t know why people are so quick to discount this man. We saw it on his rise to the championship, we saw it when he was champion, we saw it when he was coming back. I don’t know why people are so quick to discredit this man.”
While known for his tendency to say yes to whichever fights the UFC slides across his desk, the former champ has been firm in rejecting a possible clash with “The Reaper,” as well as any other matchup that doesn’t come with the 185-pound belt on the line.
The thought that whittaker gets a title shot before me is fucking wild..
Alex Pereira’s recent successful defence of his light heavyweight title at UFC 303 has added the Brazilian’s name to the ever-growing list of fighters who have successfully changed weight divisions within the UFC. Today we take a look at some of the most notable examples (along with a few that didn’t fare quite as well). […]
Alex Pereira’s recent successful defence of his light heavyweight title at UFC 303 has added the Brazilian’s name to the ever-growing list of fighters who have successfully changed weight divisions within the UFC. Today we take a look at some of the most notable examples (along with a few that didn’t fare quite as well).
CONOR McGREGOR
The original ‘champ champ’. The first man to simultaneously hold championship belts in two different weight divisions. “The Notorious” signed with the UFC back in 2013 having won both the featherweight and lightweight titles in Cage Warriors and within two-and-a-half years he knocked out Jose Aldo to claim the 145lb belt.
Image: Conor McGregor IG
Less than a year later, he put on perhaps the best display of his career when he beat Eddie Alvarez at the iconic Madison Square Garden to claim the 155lb strap. He has also competed in the welterweight division, fighting Nate Diaz twice and Donald Cerrone. His recent (now postponed) comeback bout against Michael Chandler had been set to take place over five rounds at 170lbs.
DANIEL CORMIER
“DC” enjoyed huge success fighting as a heavyweight prior to signing with the UFC in 2013. He beat Antonio “Big Foot” Silva and Josh Barnett to win the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix in 2012 and began his UFC career with wins over former heavyweight champion Frank Mir and Roy Nelson, before making the decision to move down to 205lbs as his team-mate Cain Velazquez was the heavyweight champion at the time.
Cormier submitted Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in 2015 to claim the vacant light heavyweight title, and three years later he made the decision to move up and challenge then-champion Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title. He shocked the world by knocking out Miocic in the first round, although the Cleveland-born firefighter gained his revenge by beating Cormier twice in 2019/2020, retiring him from the sport.
Image: Robert Whittaker Instagram
ROBERT WHITTAKER
“Bobby Knuckles” signed with the UFC back in 2012 off the back of some impressive performances on The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes and had mixed results during his time competing in the welterweight division. He won three of his first five fights, but losses to Court McGee and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson convinced Whittaker to test the waters at 185lbs.
What followed was an eight-fight winning streak, wins over the likes of Yoel Romero and “Jacare” Souza and the UFC middleweight title. Whittaker lost the belt to Israel Adesanya in 2022 but is still riding high at 185lbs and finds himself in the title picture once again after his recent knockout victory over Ikram Aliskerov.
HENRY CEJUDO
The 2008 Olympic gold medallist won his first four fights inside the Octagon to earn a shot at then-UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson back in 2016. Although Cejudo was knocked out in the first round, he soon worked his way back into title contention with some impressive victories over Wilson Reis and Sergio Pettis.
The rematch was a much closer affair, and “Triple C” ended Johnson’s record-breaking title reign and emerged victorious by way of a contentious split decision. A year later he moved up to 135lbs to challenge Marlon Moraes for the vacant UFC bantamweight title. He finished Moraes and then beat former champion Dominick Cruz in his first title defence in 2020, before relinquishing his belt and announcing his retirement, in what seemed like a power play due to contract issues with the UFC.
3 Fighters Who Moved Down A Weight Division…With Disastrous Results!
T.J. DILLASHAW
T.J. Dillashaw enjoyed two separate runs as UFC bantamweight champion. He shocked the MMA world when he destroyed Renan Barao at UFC 173 to capture the 135lb belt. After losing the title to Dominck Cruz two years later, he regrouped and beat Raphael Assuncao and John Lineker to earn another shot at gold.
He knocked out former team-mate Cody Garbrandt (who had won the belt from Cruz a year earlier), and after finishing “No Love” again in a rematch, made the decision to cut to 125lbs to challenge Henry Cejudo for the flyweight title.
The decision proved disastrous. Dillashaw was knocked out after just 32 seconds, and a couple of months later it was announced he had been suspended for two years by USADA due to testing positive for EPO in the lead-up to the Cejudo fight.
He returned after his suspension ended and beat Cory Sandhagen to earn another shot at the 135lb belt but went into the fight against Aljamain Sterling carrying a serious shoulder injury and was finished easily. He has since walked away from the sport.
CODY GARBRANDT
Cody Garbrandt came into that first bantamweight title fight with T.J. Dillashaw unbeaten at 10-0 and riding high off the back of a career-best performance against Dominick Cruz. The two losses he suffered at the hands of Dillashaw seemed to affect him badly. He was also knocked out by Pedro Munhoz in his next fight, and although he would claim a highlight reel finish over Raphael Assuncao in 2020, a defeat to Rob Font soon afterwards convinced him a change was needed.
Image: Cody Garbrandt Instagram
With no discernible path back into the bantamweight picture, “No Love” decided to make the cut to 125lbs for a fight against Australian flyweight contender Kai Kara-France at UFC 269. Another first-round knockout defeat followed, and Garbrandt stepped away from the spotlight for a much-needed break.
His return to the bantamweight division has been a little less calamitous. Wins over Trevin Jones and Brian Kelleher, followed by a submission loss to Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 300 have hinted that perhaps his future lies slightly outside of the title picture for now, but most definitely should be at 135lbs.
DAN HOOKER
“The Hangman” picked up a string of impressive wins in the UFC’s lightweight division between 2017 and 2021, beating the likes of Paul Felder, Al Iaquinta, Gilbert Burns and Jim Miller. His record at 155lbs during that five-year spell sits at 8 wins and 4 defeats, but losses against the biggest names in the division such as Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev convinced the Australian to think about a move down to 145lbs.
Image: UFC.com
His featherweight debut against Arnold Allen in London, England ended disastrously. At 6 feet tall, Hooker looked frail and weakened at 145lbs, and Allen destroyed him in little over two minutes. Hooker has since returned to the lightweight division and reeled off victories over Claudio Puelles and Jalin Turner.
One thing we know for certain: finding the right weight class is of paramount importance for a fighter. It can be the defining factor between a promising career and a championship legacy in the highly demanding world of the UFC.
After losing the UFC middleweight title to Dricus Du Plessis, Sean Strickland bounced back by defeating Paulo Costa at UFC 302 this past June. Since then, he’s been adamant about sitting out and fighting the winner of Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, Perth. However, Costa fought Strickland following a loss to Robert […]
After losing the UFC middleweight title to Dricus Du Plessis, Sean Strickland bounced back by defeating Paulo Costa at UFC 302 this past June. Since then, he’s been adamant about sitting out and fighting the winner of Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, Perth.
However, Costa fought Strickland following a loss to Robert Whittaker. “The Reaper” has since beaten Khamzat Chimaev’s short-notice replacement Ikram Aliskerov easily to build his own case for another title shot.
Many believe that Strickland vs. Whittaker is the perfect title eliminator fight in the UFC middleweight division. Michael Bisping agrees and recently advised “Tarzan” to change his stance on turning down such a matchup…
Michael Bisping Reminds Sean Strickland About Downsides Of Waiting On The Sidelines
Bisping recently discussed Strickland’s latest motorcycle accident and next fight on his YouTube channel. He laid down situations in which waiting for a title shot instead of fighting Whittaker could affect the former champ’s ability to reclaim gold.
In the eyes of “The Count,” Strickland wouldn’t want a world where Du Plessis vs. Adesanya is razor close and results in a rematch. If, in the meantime, “The Reaper” racks up another dominant win, he’ll be more likely to get a title shot.
“You can’t sit around. You can’t feel so entitled. You have to go out there, stake your case, continue to apply your craft, get better with every single training camp. Make the statement that you are the uncrowned champion.”
Bisping looked at Whittaker’s impressive record as a middleweight, which contains three losses to only current or then-future champions. Because he walked out of the Aliskerov fight without damage, the Australian could feasibly return to the Octagon quickly and be the undisputed title challenger.
It is worth noting that the former British UFC middleweight champion isn’t critical of Strickland’s principles. After the razor-close decision loss to the current titleholder and a win since, he can rightly claim a second shot.
Nevertheless, Bisping maintained that it is still risky due to factors outside of his control.
“You do not want to wait on the sidelines. I mean, for example, let’s say Dricus beats Izzy. That’s a big if, but let’s just say he does. What if Dricus gets injured? What if that fight is so grueling, he tears a knee, he busts his eye up, he’s got a broken jaw. He’s coming back, but it’s going to be six to nine months. Is he still going to continue to wait on the sidelines?”
Overall, “The Count” only demands Strickland to not sit on the sidelines and do what he does best. Get inside the Octagon consistently, improve with every fight, and not let anyone else steal his claim at the title.
Despite calls from fans and pundits alike for a middleweight title eliminator between former champions, Sean Strickland, and Robert…
Despite calls from fans and pundits alike for a middleweight title eliminator between former champions, Sean Strickland, and Robert Whittaker – the former has once more shut down the clash, until he wins the divisional crown first.
Strickland, who currently holds the number one rank in the official middleweight pile, managed to remain the divisional top spot holder at UFC 302 back in May, securing a split decision win over common-opponent, Paulo Costa.
As for fellow ex-champion, Whittaker, just last month at UFC Saudi Arabia, the fan-favorite striker turned in a short-notice win over Ikram Aliskerov, finishing the highly-touted Russian prospect with a stunning first round knockout win.
“The thought that Whittaker gets a title show before me is f*cking wild…” Sean Strickland posted on his official X account. “Bro you’re 0-3 – with a stoppage lol. I beat both those c*nts lol. Do rankings matter?! Do the right thing UFC.”
“At one point, there’s gonna be no f*cking Americans left in the UFC,” Sean Strickland said. “We’re all gonna be watching Dagestanis, and Russians, Brazilians fighting. No one’s gonna give a f*ck. So, that’s what I think about that, you know. Let’s the make the UFC American again.
Do you want to see Sean Strickland fight Robert Whittaker in the future?
Despite calls from fans and pundits alike for a middleweight title eliminator between former champions, Sean Strickland, and Robert…
