Leon Edwards will face top contender Belal Muhammad in their upcoming showdown at UFC 304. This will be his third title defense since he won the title in 2022. However, the welterweight champion sees no big money showdowns in his division. Does that mean a showdown against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev who has already called him out?
Leon Edwards recently sat down for a conversation with Kevin Iole. During their discussion on Iole’s YouTube channel, Edwards made a very interesting point about the lack of high-profile matchups in the welterweight division. The champion acknowledged rising contenders like Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry. However, he pointed out the absence of big money potential.
I don’t think there’s really any big money fights right now in the welterweight division. Just tough opponents in the division, but there’s no big star that would add more value.
Leon Edwards on Kevin Iole’s YouTube channel
The welterweight division has not produced any significant PPV matchups in a while. Sales did shoot up by 25 percent as per UFC CEO Dana White after Edwards and Colby Covington‘s viral press conference. Now the champion will step into the octagon against top contender Belal Muhammad who is ready to snatch the belt off the reigning champion in his first-ever title fight. The champ already declared that he would go for the finish.
Edwards said that as of now, he is completely focused on Muhammad. However, the solution to Leon Edward’s despair would be a cross-division showdown with a champion of another weight class. In comes reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. The Dagestani already mentioned wanting to move up weight classes to challenge ‘Rocky’. Meanwhile, Edwards too sees a potential showdown shortly.
Will Leon Edwards move to the middleweight division?
Leon Edward’s coach believes Islam Makhachev would find it difficult to take on the welterweight champion. Coach Dave Lovell recently did an interview with Submission Radio. During the conversation, Lovell highlighted Edwards’s size as a key advantage that would affect the highly anticipated showdown.
Leon Edwards wants another belt (via Sky Sports)Islam Makhachev had previously expressed his two-division title aspirations. The welterweight champion has similar aspirations too. But how does coach Dave Lovell feel about this, given ‘Rocky’s success in the division? As per what he said in the interview, Lovell does not think it is a bad idea.
One step at a time. But if that’s his plan, which is not a bad plan because we’ve got a few fighters that have done it and in the process of wanting to do it, so why should Leon be any different? He’s big enough that he could fill out to make a middleweight.
Dave Lovell on Submission Radio
The top contenders at middleweight are exceptional strikers. Edwards has it down to a ‘T’. But what about his wrestling? Lovell pointed out that all of Edward’s opponents since becoming champion have been wrestlers, including his upcoming fight against Belal Muhammad.
He believes people may be shocked when ‘Rocky’ comes out against wrestlers like Covington or Kamaru Usman and shows how his quality of wrestling has improved. With the upcoming showdown against Muhammad, it will be interesting to see if that truly is the case.
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