In a recent interview, Belal Muhammad expressed doubts about whether he would be able to face Leon Edwards for the second time though he beat him to earn the UFC welterweight championship. He explained that he had to wait for a very long time to get a chance to face Edwards again. Their previous match was declared a no-contest because of an eye strike.
Even though Muhammad has always shown respect to Edwards and his fighting skills, he still seems to doubt that Edwards has the heart to return to the ring after such a loss. Since losing the title, Edwards has not announced any fight against Muhammad. This proves that he possibly lacks the confidence to reclaim his position in the division.
Chances of Facing Leon Edwards
While Muhammad liked mentioning the three-year gap between their fights, he realizes there’s a chance he could face Edwards again. However, he’s unsure if the former champion will ever truly deserve another shot. But he made it clear that is not denying to fight Edwards because of his skills but because of the mentality and the attitude he has right now.
Belal Muhammad said this while talking to MMA Fighting. “Skill-wise, he has the skill to do it but it’s all about mentality. Because you’ve seen it a lot with undefeated guys when they get that one loss, many guys don’t know how to take a loss. He hasn’t lost in eight years and he had this long streak. So it comes now from how does he come back from it mentally?”
Contenders for Belal Muhammad
Edwards has not named his next fight since losing his belt, though he confessed that he wants to at least compete one more time before the year 2024 ends. The same thing is with Belal Muhammad as he is looking forward to fighting other guys. The No. 1 contender who seems in line is Shavkat Rakhmonov as he hasn’t lost a single fight until now and has a high capability of being the best in the world. But the contract is not signed just yet. However, Muhammad is ready to step in the ring again with Edwards in case the latter gets another title shot, though he is not optimistic about it coming to pass.
Belal Muhammad explained to MMA Fighting in these words. “Physically, yeah he has all the attributes, the skills to do it and when you’re looking at the lineup now, I beat a lot of these guys in the top 10 already. So there’s not a lot of guys you’re looking at. This guy is the clear No. 1 contender.’ So Leon could go out there and get one win and if it’s a huge win, there’s a possibility that he could get his name back in the mix.”
Final Thoughts
If we look into the overall conversation of Muhammad, he has clearly stated that he is not scared to face Edwards again for the third time. But only if he qualifies to do so yet he has set the time limit to it. Before going for another title shot, Edwards will have to prove himself by winning other fights against other big competitors including Rakhmonov. The amount of strength and adaptiveness each fighter has after a loss determines the future of the fighter.
In the case of Edwards, overcoming the mind games and disappointment will be important if he wants to have a brighter future in UFC and make a comeback to the welterweight division. What are your thoughts about the future of Belal Muhammad and Leon Edwards? Feel free to use the comment section to let us know.
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