Leon Edwards is getting a great chuckle out of Belal Muhammad.
The 2 welterweight standouts collide in a rematch Saturday for Edwards’ welterweight title in the principle occasion of UFC 304. Forward of the bout, Muhammad and his group haven’t been shy in making grand proclamations about their fighter, together with Muhammad’s coach evaluating the Chicago native’s boxing to Canelo Alvarez’s and Muhammad himself repeatedly going into elaborate element about how he plans to “torture” Edwards over 5 rounds and portray a dream situation of a decisive choice victory to win the belt.
For Edwards, it’s all been a bit unusual.
“All this, if it was me, yeah, I’m not going to go mad deluded and shit and simply throw out random shit, however [I’d at least be saying], ‘I’m going to knock this man out and lower him open.’ You need violence in it,” Edwards stated with a smirk at UFC 304 media day. “If I might dream this situation in my mind, I might dream of violence. I wouldn’t dream of f*cking going to choice. You understand what I imply? It’s simply bizarre ideas that’s occurring.
“He’s [the least intimidating person]. Like, there’s simply zero. Let’s say we’re on the street and I noticed Belal Muhammad — I wouldn’t be afraid of him one bit, and that’s how I take a look at it. He’s not intimidating one bit. That’s it.”
Edwards, 32, is presently MMA Combating’s No. 3 ranked pound-for-pound fighter on the earth. He’s unbeaten throughout 13 bouts since 2015 and captured his title with a legendary come-from-behind knockout of Kamaru Usman in 2022. Edwards then defended his welterweight belt twice in 2023, defeating Usman once more earlier than outclassing Colby Covington in a one-sided bout.
Muhammad, 36, can also be unbeaten in 10 consecutive UFC bouts relationship again to 2019. In recent times, he has dominated opposition together with his wrestling and aggressive work fee, beating the likes of Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady, and Vicente Luque. Forward of UFC 304, Muhammad vowed that he additionally plans to out-strike Edwards along with out-wrestling the Englishman, although Edwards isn’t giving that promise a lot credence.
“He may attempt to [strike]. He received’t have a lot success in it. I feel everybody is aware of his recreation plan can be to come back out and check out wrestling, however even his wrestling ain’t all that, actually. He ain’t a f*cking Khabib [Nurmagomedov] or like a ‘GSP’ [Georges St-Pierre]. He’s Belal,” Edwards stated with amusing. “You understand what I imply? So it’s like, I don’t know, let’s see.”
The champ additionally couldn’t assist however scoff at Muhammad’s guarantees of maximum violence.
“It’s a contradiction, proper?” Edwards stated. “When has he ever tortured anyone within the cage? When has he ever knocked anyone out? He’s going to choke me midway, take a look at my brother, let me again up, take a look at my coach? I used to be like, ‘Bro, you’re deluded.’ He even got here out and stated that if he beats me — which he received’t — he’s topping ‘GSP.’ His boxing coach got here out and stated he has the identical fingers as Canelo. It’s like, what the hell is happening?
“I really feel like he’s attempting to speak himself into the struggle. He’s attempting to persuade himself that he’s higher than what he’s, I really feel. It’s the one method I can see it. I can’t see what else there may be.”
After all, this isn’t the primary time for Edwards and Muhammad. The 2 met beforehand in a 2021 bout that ended prematurely when Muhammad sustained an unintended eye poke simply 18 seconds into the second spherical. Edwards has rattled off 4 straight wins since and emerged as one of many sport’s most gifted fighters, whereas Muhammad has bulldozed his method by means of 5 wins and cemented his place as a high welterweight contender.
Edwards expects his highway since that 2021 no contest to profit him extra on Saturday night time than the journey Muhammad has taken to earn his long-awaited title shot.
“I don’t suppose it’ll be totally different, it’ll be related,” Edwards stated, “as a result of Colby is boxing and wrestling, Kamaru is boxing and wrestling. They kick however probably not, they’re extra boxing and wrestling. Belal, identical, boxing and wrestling, he kicks however probably not. Their assaults so far as wrestling goes [are] related. So I simply really feel like my path to this rematch has higher ready me for the rematch greater than his path to the rematch.
“He fought Burns, [who] was injured. Who else? Luque. Who else? ‘Wonderboy’ [Thompson], that’s 60 years outdated. Demian Maia, 60 years outdated. So all of the those who he’s fought [weren’t like me].”
UFC 304 takes place July 27 on the Co-op Reside in Manchester, England.