If Leon Edwards is ready to defeat Belal Muhammad at UFC 304, lead commentator Jon Anik sees loads of competitors sooner or later from his personal division.
Edwards and Muhammad shut the present at Saturday’s pay-per-view occasion in Manchester. With a lot discuss “superfights” and two-division champions, Edwards has joined into the conversations with reference to transferring as much as 185 kilos and difficult for the middleweight title, or chance by dealing with light-weight champion Islam Makhachev.
For Anik, as spectacular as being on a brief record like UFC two-division champs could be, he believes placing collectively a run of defenses in your individual division — and towards your individual division — is extra helpful.
“I’m so glad to get this query and reply a query about Leon Edwards’ legacy, and never essentially a couple of superfight,” Anik advised MMA Combating. “As a result of all of those guys, monetarily, if that’s an enormous deal and the distinction, deserve that superfight, however Kamaru Usman is a legend with loopy ice on his left wrist and a fantastic checking account stability, I’m certain, as a result of he didn’t transfer up, as a result of he sustained and continued to defend within the welterweight division and chase data.
“So oftentimes, I believe dynasties and long-reigning champions are actually how legacies are made. And I believe Leon Edwards, doubtlessly, is on the cusp of that.”
Edwards captured the title with an insane fifth-round knockout of Usman at UFC 278 in August 2022, and has since defended the belt efficiently towards Usman, in addition to former interim champ Colby Covington.
Anik understands how spectacular these wins are, together with Edwards’ near-decade lengthy unbeaten streak. However including a number of the rising names in a loaded expertise pool at 170 can doubtlessly take Edwards to a top-tier degree.
“The kind of scalps that he might depart in his wake — just like the ever deserving Belal Muhammad, and doubtlessly the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov, [who] is all the fad with women and men alike,” Anik stated. “Or Ian Machado Garry, who’s brash, however most likely nearly as good as each phrase that comes out of his mouth, [or] Jack Della Madalena with a whole nation that completely eats this sport three meals a day behind it. It’s an incredible time to be Leon Edwards.”
Edwards is a large favourite to retain his title towards Muhammad — who, like Edwards, is within the midst of a double-digit struggle unbeaten streak. “Bear in mind the Identify” will get his first shot at UFC gold after dominating previous title challenger Gilbert Burns in his most up-to-date outing at UFC 288 in Might 2023.
Anik, who calls Saturday’s motion on the published alongside former champs Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping, is sort of fascinated in Edwards persevering with his long-term résumé-building course of, together with the matchup with Muhammad.
“If you happen to imagine in Leon, the best way I do talent for talent, there’s no motive why he wouldn’t be favored to beat all of those wonderful fighters,” Anik defined. “So excited to see what he can do.
“It stands to motive that we’re getting the most effective variations of each of those guys [at UFC 304], and I can’t f*cking wait.”
