Former two time middleweight champion Israel Adesayna is backing Leon Edwards to stop Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 in Manchester, England.
Israel Adesanya acknowledges the hard work Belal Muhammad has put in to secure a title shot, but he has strong opinions about the upcoming fight against Leon Edwards. As the UFC 304 main event approaches this Saturday in Manchester, England, many are excited to see Muhammad, who remains unbeaten in his last ten fights, face Edwards for the second time. Despite Muhammad’s impressive record, Adesanya believes that Edwards poses a significant challenge for him.
Adesanya recently shared his thoughts on the matchup through his YouTube channel, offering a candid perspective:
“Belal’s got pressure, man,” Adesanya noted. “It just seems like he’s able to get to people and put his will on them.” However, Adesanya is not convinced that Muhammad will emerge victorious. In fact, he hinted that Muhammad might not even make it to the final scorecards. “But I’ll tell you one thing, Leon just seems like he’s on a f*cking massacre right now. He’s on a run. … Leon might finish him. I think Leon finishes this fight.”
Israel Adesanya Backs Leon Edwards to Stop Belal Muhammad at UFC 304
As Adesanya prepares for his own title bout against Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight championship at UFC 305 in Perth on August 17, he reflects on the Edwards vs. Muhammad rematch. Their first encounter ended in a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke in March 2021. Adesanya observed that Edwards had a strong start in that fight and believes both fighters have evolved since then. Nonetheless, he feels Edwards would need to have an off night for Muhammad to turn the tables.
“I’m trying to see how Belal can win this fight,” Israel Adesanya admitted. “To get to Leon with wrestling, he has good distance, good weapons to make sure you don’t want to get close. If you get close, it doesn’t mean you’re safe because he can take you down, too.”
Adesanya Thinks Leon Edwards Holds All the Cards Ahead of UFC 304
In Adesanya’s view, this matchup isn’t in Muhammad’s favor:
“This seems like a bad match for Belal. I’m not hating on Belal or anything, I’m just trying to see what’s his path to victory in this. Striking, Leon’s got it. Grappling, you want to lean towards Belal, but Leon is right up there. It’s Leon’s fight to win, it’s Leon’s fight to lose.”
With these insights, Israel Adesanya provides a compelling perspective on the upcoming fight and the dynamics at play.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
