MMA news: Leon Edwards talks loss to Belal Muhammad and previews UFC London matchup
Leon Edwards returns to action this Saturday for the first time since losing his UFC Welterweight title against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304.
The former champion will take on the number 5 ranked contender, Sean Brady, as the Brit hopes to get another shot at the title with a win.
Here, Sports News Blitz’s MMA expert Niall Togher previews the fight.
Better timings
Just like Edwards’ last fight, this event will also take place on British soil with Edwards and Brady headlining the Fight Night card in London.
However, unlike his fight at UFC 304 which was hosted in the early hours of the morning to accommodate the US pay-per-view audience, this Fight Night event will be on at a more reasonable time, with the main card kicking off at 8 pm GMT.
In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Edwards revealed that “never again” will he fight at such an obscure time as he felt it hindered his performance at UFC 304.
“That 4 am, 5 am walkout was madness. I tried my best to get into it, but I just couldn’t,” Edwards said.
“I just feel like my reactions were slower, I could think in my head what I wanted to do, what I trained to do but for some reason, my body and my mind just weren’t in sync as it is normally in normal fights,
“Even though he [Belal Muhammad] got the win it was still a close fight on my worst day, he won three rounds, I won two rounds; even on my worst day I was still in the fight, it was still close.” Edwards said.
MORE BY NIALL TOGHER: MMA news: Marvin Vettori to mark his return with another win over Roman Dolidze
‘This is a guy I know I can beat’
Whether you believe it was the early morning start time or the relentless pressure from Muhammad that caused the Englishman to have a lacklustre performance in his last fight, the former champion still believes he is a better fighter than Muhammad.
Reflecting on the loss, Edwards said: “I think right after it was upsetting, this is a guy I know I can beat. I think nine out of 10 times I beat this guy, he got the one-time,
“It was more just about knowing that I could beat this guy, knowing that it was the circumstances leading up to the fight that played a massive part in the fight, so it was more of a frustration at the start but then after that, it was just like a what’s next?
“Let’s regroup and get back to where we know we belong.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Carabao Cup final analysis: Five reasons why Newcastle United won at Wembley
Looking forward to the Brady fight
If Edwards wants to find himself standing across the Octagon from Muhammad again, he must first defeat Sean Brady.
Brady, like many others in the upper-echelon welterweight division, possesses a dangerous ground game to challenge talented strikers like Edwards.
While he may be more limited on the feet than Muhammad, the 32-year-old possesses a more impressive submission game that threatens to finish the fight if it hits the mat.
When previewing the matchup, Edwards said: “It’s a style that I’m used to. This is what I’ve been fighting now for many years, he’s a short boxing-wrestling kind of guy.
“It’s something that I’m used to and it gives me a chance to go out there and prove to the world that I am who I am, I will go out and prove it to the world that I am the best welterweight of all time and he’s just another guy in my way.”
READ NEXT: Grand National 2025 news: Aintree on radar for Inothewayurthinkin after Gold Cup glory
