UFC 304: Story of Long Journeys in Edwards vs Muhammad 2

By
Gabriel Gonzalez
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JULY 26: (L-R) Opponents Leon Edwards of Jamaica and Belal Muhammad face off during the UFC 304 ceremonial weigh-in at Co-op Live on July 26, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

A battle of fierce rivals with soft-spoken personalities will collide as champion Leon Edwards rematches Belal Muhammad at UFC 304.

In a sport that celebrates (and to be quite honest rapidly elevates) electrifying superstars, having a more soft spoken contender ascend to the pinnacle creates an interesting study.  Leon Edwards, the UFC’s undisputed welterweight champion on an astounding run, is one such case.  His current win-streak has seen him end the title reign of pound-for-pound stalwart Kamaru Usman and route perennial title threat Colby Covington as well.  Leading up to his title opportunity, he also bested the likes of former champion Rafael dos Anjos, popular superstar Nate Diaz, and perennial top-ten contender Vicente Luque just to name a few.

Though not lacking for confidence or even a sense of humor, brash and out-spoken are not adjectives used when discussing “Rocky” as a personality.  It has caused an interesting situation for a fighter about to headline a second event in his home country as a reigning champion.  He has his hands full with a familiar foe eager to claim gold for the first time, but there is already plenty of talk about seeing other popular contenders such as Shavkat Rakhmonov and lightweight champion Islam Makhachev have their shot.  But of course, it is on him to turn back the competition and show himself and everyone else just how far he can take his run.

For Belal Muhammad, slow and steady wins the race may be the only way to describe his ascent up the rankings.  In a division that has seen plenty of big names and loud personalities dominate the title conversation, “Remember the Name” has had to take the scenic route to the sports ultimate opportunity.  With a respectable 23-3 record, Muhammad rides a nine fight win-streak that has seen him take on his share of veterans and contenders alike.  But even now, his run saw him take a backseat as he had to wait for former two-time title challenger Colby Covington to have a shot at the belt late last year before he received this upcoming title shot at the belt in Edwards’ home country.

Of course, this journey can only end one of two ways.  Much like Edwards, ironically, the long route to a title shot can end up being a great triumph.  Or as has been seen in the past, potentially great heartbreak.  Muhammad has gone five years without taking a loss in one of the UFC‘s most loaded divisions and his last fight even saw him step up on short notice, right in the midst of Ramadan as a practicing Muslim, and route highly regarded former title challenger Gilbert Burns.  He has about as much momentum as one could ask for, and even possesses the advantage of briefly having shared the cage with Edwards when he stepped in for a short-notice bout that ended in a No Contest due to an accidental eye-poke.  To say the time feels like it’s now would be an understatement for Muhammad.

There are a number of options, not the least of which being a potential rematch should Muhammad win the title.  The most likely frontrunner of new contenders would likely be undefeated phenom Shavkat Rakhmonov or Australian product Jack Della Maddalena.  Another option is lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (should Edwards retain the belt) who has previously discussed moving up in weight.

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