The stage is set for the much anticipated UFC 304 pay-per-view event in Manchester. In the main event, Leon Edwards will defend his welterweight title against Belal Muhammad. Ahead of the fight, Muhammad has made some interesting claims, and Edwards just couldn’t take them seriously without laughing.
Belal Muhammad has waited for years to get the welterweight title shot. He has been training day and night for this, sharpening his skills. Ahead of the fight, Muhammad’s striking coach, Horatio Gutierrez, compared the fighter’s hands to boxing powerhouse Canelo Alvarez. However, this didn’t go well with Edwards, who laughed while talking about it with Daniel Cormier.
His coach came out yesterday and said he’s like f***** Canelo boxing, his coach said that….This is what I’m dealing with. These are the people I’m dealing with.
Leon Edwards via Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel
According to Gutierrez, Muhammad trained like the Mexican boxers and developed a lot. The fighter is predominantly known for his work rate and ground game with solid boxing. Muhammad has five TKO victories in his career, but as evidenced by Edwards’s reaction, comparing him with Alvarez? That might be a stretch.
Besides, Muhammad has also mentioned training under UFC lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov and building a plan against Edwards. However, Edwards didn’t mean anything and accused the challenger of using Nurmagomedov’s name to get attention. In reality, ‘Rocky’ doesn’t think Muhammad is anywhere near as intimidating as other fighters.
Belal Muhammad reacts to elevator run-in with Leon Edwards at Fighters hotel
Ahead of the fight, both Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad crossed each other’s paths in an elevator ride. The UFC-embedded cameras captured the whole awkward elevator ride as both teams started mocking each other. They almost got into an ugly altercation with only a few days to the fight night.
Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad (via X)
During the pre-fight press conference, Muhammad was asked how he felt around Leon Edwards inside the elevator. While responding to it, ‘Remember The Name’ gave a rather befitting reply about settling scores inside the octagon.
It ain’t about intimidation, it’s about being standing infront of him of me and me hitting him in his mouth. He’s gonna be real intimidated when were are in the cage together.
Belal Muhammad via UFC pre-fight press conference
Muhammad plans to beat Edwards and become the first-ever Palestinian champion in UFC history. On the other hand, the champion is looking for an early finish and extending his title reign. Nevertheless, all eyes are now on the main event this weekend.
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