[ UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards’ coach, Dave Lovell, expects Belal Muhammad to be next. Lovell confirmed that Edwards (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) was offered Shavkat Rakhmonov, Khamzat Chimaev, and lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 300, but not Muhammad. Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) cemented himself as No. 1 contender last May when he … Read more
[ Belal Muhammad is convinced that UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards and his team refuse to acknowledge him as No. 1 contender. Edwards’ manager, Tim Simpson, confirmed to Ariel Helwani that Khamzat Chimaev, Islam Makhachev and Shavkat Rakhmonov were the three names offered to the champ at UFC 300 – even though they asked about … Read more
[ Belal Muhammad dismisses the notion that he was being dominated by Leon Edwards in their first fight. Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) and UFC welterweight champion Edwards battled to a no contest in their March 2021 headliner after Edwards accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye early Round 2, and rendered him unable to continue. Edwards … Read more
[ UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards hopes he gets an opportunity to headline a stadium show at home. Two weeks after retaining his title against Colby Covington at UFC 296, Edwards was honored at halftime of Aston Villa’s home win over Burnley this past December at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. Edwards was gifted a … Read more
[ UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards lauds Conor McGregor for his contributions to MMA. McGregor, a former UFC dual-champion, is the highest pay-per-view draw in company history. He is undoubtedly the biggest star – crossing over to boxing, as well as recently making his Hollywood debut in the “Road House” remake with Jake Gyllenhaal. Edwards … Read more
[ Michael Page thinks Leon Edwards will keep his place as UFC welterweight champion for the foreseeable future, and it’s his goal to eventually secure a title bout with his fellow Brit. The all-time Bellator knockout record-holder Page (21-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is set to make his octagon debut on March 9 when he meets … Read more
[ This is it, right? Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou was the No. 1 fight on MMA Junkie’s wish list for 2023, and it is again for 2024. However, now more than ever it seems this one won’t happen. Ngannou is signed to PFL for MMA and it etching his name into boxing’s heavyweight division … Read more
[ A new year brings new fights, but some of the proposed matchups ahead for 2024 don’t exactly make the most sense. Perhaps the shining example, for better or worse, is the UFC’s plan to stick to having the heavyweight champ Jon Jones’ next fight be against Stipe Miocic. The fight scheduled for UFC 295 … Read more
[ Belal Muhammad is one of the few Muslim fighters, if not the only one, who doesn’t opt out from preparing for fights during Ramadan. Muhammad, a top contender in the UFC’s welterweight division, has prepared for fights in the past and will continue to do so while observing Ramadan. The monthlong Muslim holiday involves … Read more
[ It’s all coming together for Belal Muhammad, at least in his self-assessment. With a title challenge against Leon Edwards rumored for the UFC 300 card April 13 in Las Vegas, Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) recently told MMA Junkie he hasn’t heard any specifics himself. Regardless of the where and when, Muhammad voiced confidence … Read more
