Contender Belal Muhammad will run things back with welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC 304. Their first encounter ended rather unceremoniously and unremarkably with an eye poke. Actively disarmed for the title shot picture, the Palestinian fighter now has a chance to make his mark. He has the opportunity to make a mark in more than one area.
With the ongoing Israeli military offense against the Palestinians, Muhammad acknowledges that his recent triumphs are tempered. The Palestinian-American has received much homegrown support. He plans to honor it by becoming the first Palestinian ever to claim UFC gold.
Honestly, …you get very emotional when you think about it, …This is that moment. But you know your people are suffering…It’s going to fuel me to make sure I get my hand raised because they need a victory more than anything…Nobody is going to be able to doubt that they’re going to have a Palestinian champion…If…[that one moment] makes them forget about what they’re going through for 10, 15 minutes, that’s the least I could do.
Belal Muhammad to MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun
Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards has long presented that Muhammad was never in the conversation for title shot opportunities. He and Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) have a long unbeaten streak going into the welterweight title scrap. But due to his slow-running strain of victories, most do not ‘Remember the Name.’ Now that Muhammad has a shot at the gold, he’ll productively sanctify the effort towards his country. Belal Muhammad says his country needs a change of pace.
Consequently, if his rivalry with Edwards weren’t enough, this thought alone would fuel his efforts to capture the gold. With Sean Strickland calling his American side of origins to question as a pseudo-patriot, Muhammad has long fired back with barbs. One thing the fighter cannot take is the disses on his home and countrymen amid the global theater of war. Remember the cause, as Muhammad plans to win for legacy and land together.
The inconvenience of foreign timings only adds to Belal Muhammad’s resolve to win
Belal Muhammad rematches Leon Edwards soon in enemy territory. They meet at UFC 304’s main event on July 27 at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Heavyweight Tom Aspinall handles the main event in an all-English affair. He revealed that negotiations to change the start time of UFC 304 “failed” while speaking with The MacLife (@TheMacLife).
Non-local timings are the least of his concerns, as Belal Muhammad battles Leon Edwards (Source: IMAGO)Muhammad says that, unlike the traditional U.S. start times, the main card commences at 3 a.m. BST (10 p.m. ET; ESPN+, pay-per-view). As such, he gets his hands on the champ at the unlikely, ungodly hour of around 5 a.m. local time. Muhammed’s discomfort only increases his role in the story, as he has had to exercise a lot of patience for this.
For me honestly, I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole career, …I’ve been waiting for this moment since the first Leon fight, just to punch him in his face. Whether it’s 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 8 p.m. – the anger and the fuel that’s inside of me, it doesn’t really matter. I’ll be awake for that…to frigging punch him in his mouth…
Belal Muhammad to MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun
After continued disses to his efforts in climbing up the title ladder, he’s at a point where he “hates” Leon Edwards. The Palestinian fighter has worked up enough adrenaline to not care for jet lag or inconvenient camps in the discourse. Belal Muhammad wants to make it so that the welterweight gold strap returns on the flight home with him. Unknown geography is a minor bump on the road.
