An unceremonious eye poke in their last scram gave birth to a few vibrant memes and quite substantial hatred. Now, Leon Edwards gets to run things back with Belal Muhammad. They meet in UFC 304’s feature headliner, Live From Co-Op, Manchester. ‘Remember the Name‘ has long advocated himself the most logical next option. In light of that, he has no love lost with Leon Edwards.
Sick of being dumbed down, Belal Muhammad has lambasted ‘Rocky.’ Going into the bout, both he and Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) see double-digit win streaks. Edwards is going undefeated at 12-0-1, while he too is on a 10-fight streak. Gilbert Burns, Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque; all the big 170-pound long-stays. Name it and Muhammad has done it. Yet he has the stamp of being unworthy of a title opportunity. However, he begs to differ.
He’s breakable…My mentality is to walk in there and break him now [because] I’m going in there with a different set of anger now! Because, I hate him so much…never hated anybody as much… I hate everybody associated with them. Just the way they talk, the way they try to avoid it. They try to act like ‘oh we would fight him’, but it’s like they are trying to do everything to avoid it…To be honest, I think he’s the easiest guy in the Top-5…stylistically, for myself.
Belal Muhammad via the “Show Me the Money” Podcast (@showmethepod) with Gilbert Burns and Matty Betss
The welterweight from Roufusport Team MMA especially takes offense at Edwards dousing his tough journey. Leon Edwards’ UFC 278 post-fight “Look at me now” warcry and calling his mother during the walk-back mark his rabid toil. Yet he won’t acknowledge the same in others, says Belal Muhammad. Many tout the Palestinian as the most logical choice in the title contention picture, including Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker.
Many, except Edwards of course, which irks him. Obviously, it is the natural course to be dismissive of those who challenge the guard. Even Muhammad considers him as breakable and the “easiest fight in the Top-5,” due to his slow-running decision against Colby Covington. Notably, he had said the same about Covington once before, as he does for Edwards.
Belal Muhammad not chasing love from common “drunk” UFC fans
Both WWE and UFC might come under the jurisdiction of the TKO Group Holdings umbrella. However, according to welterweight title contender Belal Muhammad, UFC fans kind of stink as opposed to WWE. Belal Muhammad will be in action for the UFC welterweight title strap at UFC 304 in Manchester.
It’s only one way forward to the title for Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 (Source: foxsports.com)In no sense is he a fan of the common fans UFC draws these days. Since his last brawl with titleholder Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards, the 35-year-old has faced must jesty disses after his eye poke. He has fought in over three numbered pay-per-view events and two UFC Fight Nights, winning all of them. However, through the length of those, the commonality of fans have mocked his decision-spam wins and incidental eye poke.
Being at [WWE] events is funnier, It’s like the complete opposite of UFC…because those people are so into it. No matter what you’re doing, like, you could literally throw a punch or run into the ropes and the fans are going crazy no matter what, because they’re real, true, fans…UFC fans, it’s just like you said, 90% of them are just drunks that don’t care about anybody else unless they’re bleeding…just waiting for that viral moment…
Belal Muhammad via the “Money Loyalty Respect” Podcast Episode #17
Many fighters denigrate the mob mentality of MMA fans each week. Amid constant critical input and varying backlash for an Alex Pereira-shaped critique, even UFC 301’s Anthony Smith said the same. Consequently, Muhammad is focusing on setting a good example for his fellow Muslim fans, rather than catering to the drunks and TikTok chasers. Holding himself to a “higher standard“, he is eagle-eyed for only one thing – the title gold at UFC 304.
