Former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards’ disdain for Belal Muhammad hasn’t appeared to dissipate in the months on from their title showdown in Manchester.
Edwards and Muhammad ran their rivalry back last July in England, sharing the Octagon again three years on from a UFC Fight Night headliner at the Apex that ended in a disappointing no contest.
With animosity from that clash continuing to build, there was certainly no love lost between the pair when “Remember the Name” challenged for “Rocky’s” 170-pound gold at UFC 304 inside the Co-op Live.
Courtesy of a dominant performance across five rounds, Muhammad ultimately had the last laugh — at least for now.
The Jamaica-born Brit has repeatedly expressed his desire to exact revenge on Muhammad, and he expects to earn the chance to do so by defeating Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC Fight Night London main event next month.
Despite how their second bout unfolded, Edwards still doesn’t have much respect for the champ’s skillset, believing he’ll make a quick return to the throne.
During an appearance on The Louis Theroux Podcast, Edwards was asked the old-age question of who he perceives to be the greatest fighter. This time, however, the topic also strayed to the worst, providing “Rocky” with the chance to take a jab at his arch-nemisis.
“For me, I would say Jon Jones,” Edwards said when discussing the best fighter of all time. “My second best is Anderson Silva.
“(Worst?) Belal… I’d love to run it back,” Edwards continued. “Normal time. I’d love to run it back again (in 2025).”
Edwards has continued to put his decision loss in July 2024 down to the unusual fight timings, which saw him defending his title on home soil at gone 5 a.m. local time.
“Rocky” will look to prove that as the key factor in last year’s result by working his way back to the top and levelling the score with Muhammad in their ongoing feud.
For the time being, Edwards will need to have full focus on the dangerous Della Maddalena. Muhammad, meanwhile, is expected to figure in a rearranged showdown with Shavkat Rakhmonov for his delayed first title defense.
