The UFC 304 event in Manchester saw the emergence of a new welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad. ‘Remember The Name’ put on a massive performance and dominated Leon Edwards to get a unanimous decision victory. Israel Adesanya was impressed by Muhammad’s performance. However, the former middleweight champion doesn’t think Dana White feels the same.
The crowd was wild, and despite the early morning fight card, they showed immense support to the fighters. As usual, Israel Adesanya hosted a watch party for the event on his YouTube channel. In the video, Izzy’s brother makes a hilarious pun about Dana White not liking Muhammad as a champion. This made Adesanya laugh hysterically, knowing White’s dislike of less-marketed fighters.
If Belal wins you’ll hear one big gunshot. Dana just blows his brains out.
Israel Adesanya’s brother via FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel
From the start of the fight, Belal Muhammad put the pedal down and showed relentless pressure. This took the defending champion off guard, as Edwards was unable to do anything for the most part of the fight. Muhammad shocked everyone with his crisp striking as well as impressive takedowns.
Adesanya enjoyed the way Muhammad fought and gave him his credit. Izzy was shocked by how the challenger beat Edwards on his home turf. Many, including Adesanya, doubted Muhammad, but the Palestinian-American fighter managed to prove all of them wrong. UFC CEO Dana White also couldn’t help but praise Muhammad for his win.
It took years for Belal Muhammad to land the welterweight title shot finally. In the process, the fighter has asked Dana White multiple times to give the fight. However, it got delayed, and many assumed that White wasn’t a fan of Muhammad being a champion.
Dana White talks about Belal Muhammad’s performance at UFC 304 (via Imago)
After the fight, White was disappointed with the lack of finishes on the card. Nevertheless, he was pleased by Muhammad’s performance. He credited the fighter for his development and mentioned Khabib Nurmagomedov for upgrading Muhammad’s game. On top of it, White doesn’t think Edwards is ready for an immediate rematch against Muhammad anytime soon.
Let him rest. We’re talking about other things right now.
UFC 304 post-fight press conference
During the conference, White also got into an argument over Muhammad’s Palestine flag being allegedly taken down from the octagon. When the dust settled, White also went to meet Belal Muhammad outside the arena. The boss and an employee shared a wholesome moment as White looked concerned about Muhammad’s injuries.
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