Leon Edwards to Defend Welterweight Title Against Belal Muhammad
On July 27, at the Co-op Live in Manchester, Leon Edwards is set to defend his UFC welterweight title against Belal Muhammad. This highly anticipated fight will headline UFC 304, marking the organization’s return to Manchester for the first time since October 2016.
Fight Card Highlights
- Tom Aspinall and Paddy Pimblett are also featured on the card.
- Interim heavyweight champion Aspinall will face Curtis Blaydes in the co-main event.
- Liverpool’s Pimblett aims to secure a spot in the top-15 lightweight rankings by taking on Bobby Green.
- Flyweight Muhammad Mokaev is scheduled to fight Manel Kape.
Leon Edwards’ Impressive Streak
Leon Edwards, originally from Jamaica and raised in Birmingham, became the 170lb champion with a last-round knockout of Kamaru Usman in August 2022. He successfully defended his title by outpointing the Nigerian-American in his first defence. Edwards continued his winning streak by defeating Colby Covington in a grudge match in December, extending his unbeaten run in mixed martial arts to 13 fights.
However, Edwards’ only setback during this period was a no-contest against Belal Muhammad in March 2021. The fight was stopped after an accidental eye-poke by Edwards left Muhammad unable to continue in the second round.
Aspinall, the interim heavyweight champion, is seeking redemption in his fight against Curtis Blaydes, aiming to avenge his only UFC defeat. Despite a previous loss due to a knee injury, Aspinall has since bounced back with victories over Marcin Tybura and Sergei Pavlovich to claim the interim title in the heavyweight division.