Cageside Press analyst Val Dewar once again collects the best fights of the week, a fight week led by UFC 304 which will be followed by Super RIZIN 3. Read along to find out what fights you should watch this week, why they are good/matter, and for a brief analysis of what to expect in each.
1. Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad
While I am known for being a contrarian at times, a lower weight class propagandist at others, and called a hipster by some, I am comfortable saying that UFC 304’s main event – the biggest fight of the week – is the best fight of the week. Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad will absolutely not be a banger given their styles, but it is an interesting test for someone who is unquestionably one of the pound-for-pound best in the world.
Of course, the pair already competed once. Though the bout was not definitive due to a ghastly and careless – but incidental – eye poke which caused Belal’s eye to bleed, it’s fair to say that Edwards was in control of the fight for its entirety, all five minutes and eighteen seconds. Leon even put Muhammad on shaky legs in the first round, showing he has it in him to hurt his opponent, but his subpar finishing instincts let him down there.
Belal has improved considerably since then, tuning up his still-awkward striking until it was more than just serviceable. However, Leon is the younger fighter and was only 28 the last time they fought. Although Muhammad is as game as they come, his best traits are not ones the champ has not seen before. And facing those threats from an all-time great like Usman is much more daunting. Usman may have been aging, but Belal himself is 37, so the sands of time are working against him along with the ever-present “over-35 curse.”
It cannot be understated how impactful would be for a first Palestinian UFC champ to exist at a time of such ongoing horror for Gaza, and even being on this world stage gives Belal a chance to help his people, which he is taking full advantage of. Belal is good literally everywhere but excels in takedown defense, dogged determination, high pace, and unlimited reserves of cardio; Muhammad forces opponents to confront him, whether he is in their face with volume boxing or on top of them mushing them into the canvas. He will make this fight interesting and force a If he does win it shakes up this division a lot with Shavkat Rakhmonov and Jack Della Maddalena waiting in the wings, but for me it’s hard to see him winning. Edwards has the skills to out-maneuver him and is in his physical prime.
We may be entering the era of Leon. Three defenses would begin to put him into the territory of a dominant reign, though there are contenders abound, such as Rakhmanov, Maddalena, and Garry. However, the champ can always switch off, he is known for mental lapses, the question is if Belal can summon a finishing ability he has not held thus far, to take advantage of the gaps Leon proffer.
This fight represents a branch in the fork of destiny in a division with some of the most interesting potential title challengers at present. None of those men, nor Belal, has ever fought for a UFC belt before, whereas Leon’s previous challenger lost multiple title shots. This fight represents moving on from the Kamaru and Colby era of welterweight, and whoever stands on the throne at Saturday’s end will push the division into this new era.
