Belal Muhammad rips into former champion Leon Edwards in response to his excuses for losing his title fight!
The bitter rivalry between UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and former champion Leon Edwards continues to simmer. Their history stretches back to March 2021, when their first encounter ended in a disappointing no-contest due to an eye poke. The rematch took over three years to materialize. Edwards captured UFC gold in the meantime with his stunning head kick knockout of Kamaru Usman.
When they finally met again at UFC 304 in Manchester last July, Muhammad dominated Edwards over five rounds to claim the welterweight crown. And this fight wasn’t particularly close. Now, as Edwards prepares for his comeback fight against Sean Brady at UFC London, he has offered an explanation for the poor performance that cost him his title.
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Leon Edwards has pointed fingers at the unusual 5AM local fight time as a major factor in his defeat. The early morning start time was arranged to accommodate prime-time broadcast slots in North America, forcing British fighters to compete when their bodies would normally be asleep.
“Going into the fight, there was injuries. The thing that made the most difference was the time fighting at 5 A.M. I just thought it’s Belal. I can beat Belal.”
Furthermore, he stated that he had injured his back a few weeks before the fight. He believed that he couldn’t pull out from the fight because that would have disappointed the home crowd. While many fighters face similar challenges when competing internationally, Edwards and his team clearly feel they were at a significant disadvantage on their home soil, despite the supportive Manchester crowd that stayed up through the night to cheer on their champion.
Belal Muhammad isn’t buying the excuses. Muhammad fired back on social media, showing little sympathy for his former opponent. The reigning champion didn’t stop at dismissing Edwards’ complaints. He offered a specific and rather brutal prediction for the upcoming UFC London main event.
“This guys full of excuses that’s why Brady will beat him ..I predict once Brady gets him down two or three times he’ll find a submission ..because Leon’s weak mentally and he’ll have flash backs from what I did to him.”
Muhammad’s prediction carries extra weight given his unique perspective. He has faced both men in the Octagon. He dominated both Edwards in their championship bout and Brady shorty before that. Despite this, Muhammad clearly believes Brady’s wrestling-heavy approach will overwhelm Edwards, much as his own grappling did last summer.
The champion’s comments about Edwards being “mentally weak” strike at a narrative that has followed the British fighter throughout his career. Many fighters and fans have suggested that he struggles when faced with persistent pressure.
While Edwards has made it clear he wants another shot at Muhammad to reclaim his title, the current champion seems more focused on his upcoming defense against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 in Montreal. He’s dismissed Edwards’ rematch talk, effectively telling him to get to the back of the line!
(Image Credit: UFC News – X)
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