The rivalry between Belal Muhammad and Leon Edwards has been marked by intense competition and dramatic turns. Their first encounter on March 13, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 187, ended abruptly in the second round when Edwards accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye, rendering him unable to continue. The bout was declared a no-contest, leaving both fighters and fans with unresolved tensions. However, the rivalry just didn’t stop there. In the years that followed, Muhammad climbed the welterweight ranks with notable victories, positioning himself as a top contender.
Despite his top-class performances, Edwards didn’t quite think ‘Bully B’ was a legitimate fighter. Before their fight at UFC 304, they ran into each other in an elevator. As soon as ‘Rocky’ stepped into the elevator, things began to get out of hand. He greeted his opponent by saying, “Remember the Name!” Muhammad didn’t stay quiet for long. He replied, “The va***a just walked in!”. However, at UFC 304 on July 28, 2024, in Manchester—Muhammad delivered a dominant performance, out-grappling Edwards to claim a unanimous decision victory and the welterweight championship.
All this mocking has finally come to an end, but it seems the champion now wants to return the favor. And by returning the favor, we mean that Muhammad is clowning Edwards by making him wait for another title shot. According to him, the former champion needs to wait at least three years before getting a rematch. Home of Fight shared a clip of a conversation that he had on the Believe You Me Podcast.
During the conversation, he said, ” I don’t know what Leon is thinking, but Leon, you have 3-4 years before you could even think about the rematch. It’s gonna be long years of fighting contenders. The next guy in line anyway is Shavkat. There’s nothing I don’t think he can do to skip Shavkat. I wouldn’t allow that to even happen with Leon.”
Belal Muhammad said neither Leon Edwards nor Sean Brady will get the next title fight:
“Leon, you have 3-4 years before you can even think about the rematch…
Like I have another guy in line anyway, I think it’s a Shavkat. There is nothing he can do to skip Shavkat.”
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) March 4, 2025
Muhammad is now set to defend his title against Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on May 10, 2025, at Montreal’s Bell Centre. Initially scheduled to defend his title against top contender Shavkat Rakhmonov in December, Muhammad had to withdraw due to a bone infection in his foot. But it seems the champion is recovered from his injury and looking for his first title defense. Just like most of his fights, ‘Remember the Name’ is confident that he will once again walk out of the Octagon as a champion. So if he defends his title successfully, will we see a third fight against Leon Edwards?
So where does that leave Leon Edwards? If Belal Muhammad is going to face the #4-ranked Jack Della Maddalena next, and possibly the #2-ranked Shavkat Rakhmonove for a possible second title defense—will ‘Rocky have to stand on the sidelines and watch all of it unfold? Well, there’s some hope for the former welterweight champion from Birmingham.
Leon Edwards reveals the promise made to him by UFC CEO Dana White
Leon Edwards is stepping up to keep the UFC London event intact, a card personally put together by Dana White. However, securing an opponent wasn’t a straightforward task. Originally set to face Edwards, 28-year-old Jack Della Maddalena decided to switch opponents and will now be fighting for the title. However, all these changes have not affected ‘Rocky’ at all. Rather, he is looking forward to the clash as he is a big name in London and has many fans out there. He recently revealed the same while speaking to the press during his fight camp before his UFC Fight Night 255 clash.
Edwards said, “I got a new opponent, Sean Brady, he is a style that I am used to. So I am comfortable fighting. Yes, I look forward to it, should be good. Also, we just keep conditioning today, really a couple of rounds of tabs, and then that’s about right, I think.” He then pointed out why the upcoming fight holds massive importance for him and his title run.
MMA: UFC 286 – Edwards vs Usman Mar 18, 2023 London, UNITED KINGDOM Leon Edwards walks to the Octagon to fight Kamaru Usman not pictured during UFC 286 at O2 Arena. London O2 Arena UNITED KINGDOM, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xPerxHaljestamx 20230318_kab_bk4_280
According to him, a win against Sean Brady will help him get a title shot as promised by Dana White. He further added, “I talked to the UFC, they told me that, after this win, this is no longer a Contender fight. When I win this, I’ll fight for the title. That is my aim. My aim is to get back that two-time World Championship.”
Although Belal Muhammad is not interested in taking on the former champion, the UFC has different plans. Will we see a third fight between these two top welterweights? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Full 3 Years Before You Can Even Think About the Rematch” — Belal Muhammad Leaves Leon Edwards’ UFC Future in Danger appeared first on EssentiallySports.
