Belal Muhammad predicts he finishes Leon Edwards in their rematch: ‘It’s going to be the worst night of his life’

Belal Muhammad knows a lot can change in three years. That’s likely how much time will have passed between fights when Muhammad hopes to get his chance to settle some unfinished business with UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards . Their last encounter ended in disappointing fashion after Muhammad replaced Khamzat Chimaev on short notice but then took a thumb to the eye at the start of the second round that left him unable to continue with the bout being declared a no contest.

Neither man has tasted defeat since then but Muhammad believes he’s evolved so much following that initial fight that Edwards will be in for a rude awakening when they finally meet again. “Honestly, I think it will really wake people up to how good I am,” Muhammad told MMA Fighting about the proposed rematch with Edwards.

“Watching how much I’ve grown since that first fight, the different styles because I’ve leveled up so much. Fighting a guy like [Demian] Maia right after that, I leveled up my grappling. Fighting a guy like [Vicente] Luque right after that, I leveled up my striking. ‘Wonderboy’ leveled up my striking.

Fighting a guy like Sean Brady , I leveled up my mentality. Fighting Gilbert Burns on three weeks’ notice, I leveled up my mentality “The level I’m at is 10 times further from that day from where Leon grew from there.” As much as it stung to watch Colby Covington struggle to do much of anything against Edwards when they clashed at UFC 296 , Muhammad always had an understanding with UFC CEO Dana White and the powers that be with the promotion that he was the next man in line for the title shot Still, Muhammad can’t help but wonder how much differently things would have gone if he was in there that night when Covington got blanked and Edwards effectively outpointed him during the 25 minute affair.

“If me and Leon were to fight, if we were to fight [at UFC 296] or the weekend that just happened, I would have went in there, I would have dominated him, I would have finished him,” Muhammad said. “When our fight does happen right now, I think I’m going to go in there, I’m going to dominate him, I’m going to finish him.

“I think I’m the most dominant welterweight in the division and I think that once I get my shot the UFC, Dana White, all of them are going to know that they had the most dominant welterweight to ever do it standing underneath them this whole time and they’re going to realize ‘yo, we’ve got to start pushing this guy, this guy’s a monster, he’s a beast.’” With three years between fights with Edwards and five years gone since he last tasted defeat, Muhammad feels like he’s got the kind of momentum now that’s going to make him incredibly hard to beat.

Muhammad knows with his tenacious takedowns, suffocating pace and limitless cardio that he’s going to be a tough out for anybody in the UFC much less somebody like Edwards, who he expects to eventually wither and fade before the final horn sounds. “I’m only getting better,” Muhammad said. “I’m only growing every single fight, every single camp.

Now you’re going to give me a full 12, 14 weeks to fight Leon Edwards? It’s going to be the worst night of his life.” Right now, all signs point towards Muhammad finally getting his shot at Edwards with rumors swirling that the welterweight title fight might join the historic UFC 300 card on April 13.

Whether it’s that date or sometime later, Muhammad has faith that the UFC will follow through with a promised title fight, which was really the main reason he even contemplated taking a separate short notice opportunity against Gilbert Burns this past May. “Dana White’s a man of his word,” Muhammad said.

“When I took that Gilbert Burns fight, it was a lot of thinking that went into it. It was a lot of convincing because I was like I’ve got to make weight during Ramadan, it’s hard, I’m coming off the couch and I’m putting my nine fight winning streak on the line to fight a guy that just went into a fight against [Jorge] Masvidal, dominated him, he’s coming off a camp, he’s in shape, he’s a scary fighter and I’ve got to go in there on three weeks’ notice and put this five year streak on the line.

If I lose, I’m going to be at the back of the line for sure. “I did all that just because all they had to tell me was ‘you’re next.’ You beat him, you’re next. They told me that I would be next after Colby no matter what.” Despite not knowing for certain when the fight might happen, Muhammad has already started a training camp because truth be told, he never really stopped.

He likes to live by the mantra of staying ready so he doesn’t have to get ready, which means he’s prepared for Edwards whenever that phone finally rings with the offer. “Whatever they tell me, I’m going to pack my bags, I’m ready to go,” Muhammad said. “My mouthpiece is packed, my cup is always packed.

So if they tell me they need a pay per view in January because Sean Strickland pulled out and these guys need a pay per view, I’m ready to go.”.