BRING ON ROCKY
Leon rerun name of game for Belal
UP NEXT UFC Fight Night, Saturday, 8pm. Some Primetime action from Charlotte, North Carolina, as heavyweights Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Jailton Almeida meet in the main event.
MONEY MATCH Double delight last week and so let’s go for a treble of Ian Machado Garry, Mackenzie Dern and Johnny Walker (3/1) this weekend.
FINAL SAY “You’ve had a whole year to work on your jiu-jitsu. Now daddy Dana (White) ain’t gonna babysit that ass no more.” Having seen off Henry Cejudo, bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling is ready for Sean O’Malley.
BELAL ‘Remember the Name’ Muhammad certainly hasn’t forgotten Leon Edwards’ moniker – and he is hoping to finally settle their “unfinished business”.
The Chicago native secured a guaranteed shot at the welterweight crown with a unanimous decision victory over Gilbert Burns at UFC 288 in New Jersey.
With Birmingham’s Edwards set to defend his 170lb title against Colby Covington next, Muhammad is backing ‘Rocky’ to retain. That result would ensure a big-money rematch after their first meeting ended in an unsatisfactory no contest when Muhammad suffered an accidental eye poke.
Both fighters’ stocks have continued to rise considerably since their first bout in March 2021, with Edwards, having beaten Kamaru Usman twice, undefeated in 12 bouts and Muhammad 10.
The American, who only had three weeks to prepare for his co-main showdown with Brazilian Burns, said: “I want Leon because we have unfinished business.
“The way that (first) fight went and the way he took that as a win, it just doesn’t sit right with me.
“It left a nasty taste in my mouth because we didn’t finish, there was no result. I took that fight on three weeks’ notice, like this fight, and you saw how good I was over five rounds here (against Burns). I wanted this fight to be five rounds because I think I’m a championship fighter.
“I wanted to show the UFC that if you wanted the winner of this to fight for the belt, we had to be ready for five rounds.
“I showed that on three weeks’ notice I am ready for five rounds. Imagine me with eight (weeks’ notice).
“I knew in my heart that I could beat anybody in the welterweight division, but coming in here and doing it on three weeks’ notice and showing the world what I am capable of, I am just blessed.”
Edwards’ clash with Covington has been pencilled in for this October in Abu Dhabi by UFC president Dana
White, with Muhammad vowing to be cageside to assess his next challenger.
He added: “I am definitely going to be in the front row waiting for it with popcorn in my hands because I won’t have had to cut weight!
“Leon showed a lot of improvements in his last fight (against Usman in London), while Colby has been out for a long time (since March 2022).
“I think Leon will be able to keep the distance, but you never know. Colby is one of those guys that puts a lot of pressure on guys and breaks a lot of them.
“Now I have this title shot, whoever has the belt, they have no idea what is coming for them. It is going to be the best version of me that you have ever seen in your life.”