Leon Edwards is set to defend his UFC Welterweight Championship against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 in his home country of England. However, the home-field advantage does not guarantee a win for Edwards, especially against someone like Muhammad who has one of the longest current undefeated streaks with 9 wins and 1 no contest in his last 10 fights.
This is not the first time these two will step into the octagon, as they did so on a previous fight night in March of 2021. The fight ended in a no contest, and either Leon or Belal would currently have one of the longest current win streaks in the UFC if it wasn’t for that. With this fight coming up shortly, it’s important to look at both fighters’ chances coming into this fight.
Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad I
Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad first faced off in a fight night that took place in 2021, and the fight ended in a no contest after Leon accidentally poked Belal in the eye in round 2. Belal couldn’t continue because of the eye poke, resulting in the fight being called off.
Although there is not much to go off, it is important to note that all three judges had Edwards winning the first round of the fight 10-9. This was because of Leon’s accurate striking which Belal was not very capable of defending at that time. Belal was also not able to find any opportunities for a takedown during the fight, which made it hard for him to achieve much as during that time most of his work came from the ground.
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How Can Belal Muhammad Beat Leon Edwards?
Although he has a great win streak over contenders such as Stephen Thompson, Gilbert Burns, and Sean Brady, Belal Muhammad will not be able to easily defeat Leon Edwards similarly to how he beat these other fighters. Belal is a wrestler who uses his grappling advantages to win fights instead of submissions. However, he has also turned into a solid striker which was seen in his fights against Sean Brady and Gilbert Burns. He was able to win both of those fights convincingly despite not attempting any takedown attempts in either of them.
Belal’s great cardio is something that will be key in his fight against Leon, as Edwards has shown to be able to strike with precision for 25 minutes straight. He also has a good striking defense, which will be very helpful against Edwards as he is a stand-up fighter.
Great Stylistic Fight For Leon Edwards
Although Belal Muhammad’s striking has gotten much better, it is nowhere near the level of Leon Edwards. This is a great stylistic matchup for Edwards as he has continued to fight and win against fighters with similar styles to Belal. This was first seen at UFC 286, where the recently crowned champion Edwards took on Kamaru Usman in a rematch that lasted a full five rounds. In this fight, Leon was able to defeat Kamaru with his striking advantages despite being taken down four times. However, his takedown defense improved from his last encounter with Usman, showing improvement in that category.
Against Colby Covington at UFC 296, his takedown defense improved to a whole new level as Colby was only able to land two takedowns on him the entire fight. Leon also had two takedowns of his own in that fight, showing that he is continuing to get more comfortable and confident in terms of wrestling. With Leon’s takedown defense massively improving, and his striking game being some of the best in MMA, it will be really difficult for Belal to defeat him. Leon’s welterweight championship run will likely continue at UFC 304 in Manchester due to the advantages he has over Belal.
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