Belal Muhammad Defeats Leon Edwards to Claim Welterweight Victory

Belal Muhammad finally secured his long-awaited victory over Leon Edwards, and he did it in Edwards’ own backyard.

Muhammad claimed a unanimous decision win in the main event at UFC 304 early Sunday morning, surprising many in attendance at Co-Op Live in Manchester, England. The fight, characterized by a slow pace, led to a number of fans leaving the arena early in frustration. Despite the less-than-thrilling bout, Muhammad’s dominance was clear as he landed nearly 100 more total strikes than Edwards and managed to survive a late onslaught to clinch the welterweight belt.

From the outset, Muhammad didn’t hesitate to assert his dominance. He took Edwards down multiple times in the first round, gaining an early advantage. The second round saw more of the same, with Muhammad executing another takedown almost immediately and following up with a powerful strike to Edwards’ head.

Edwards did have his moments throughout the fight. He managed a quick takedown at the end of the second round, his first significant move of the bout. In the final 30 seconds of the fifth round, Edwards landed several massive blows to Muhammad’s head, causing blood to pour from Muhammad’s face and stain the mat. However, this burst of energy came too late to turn the tide. Muhammad held firm, earning the unanimous decision win and taking the welterweight title from Edwards.

With this victory, Muhammad’s record now stands at 24-3. He has won 10 consecutive fights dating back to 2019, with a no-contest against Edwards during this streak. Edwards, on the other hand, saw his record drop to 22-4. This defeat was his first since losing to Kamaru Usman in 2015. Prior to this bout, Edwards was riding high from a unanimous decision win over Colby Covington in December.

In the co-main event, Tom Aspinall delivered a stunning performance, successfully defending his interim heavyweight championship belt with a first-round knockout win over Curtis Blaydes. Aspinall started strong, barely missing a right-handed headshot after landing a left that sent Blaydes stumbling. He then followed up with a flurry of headshots, prompting the official to stop the fight just one minute in.

This victory avenged Aspinall’s previous loss to Blaydes in 2022, a bout that ended quickly due to Aspinall suffering a leg injury just 15 seconds in. Aspinall’s record now stands at 15-3. He has won three consecutive fights since his loss to Blaydes and came into this bout fresh off a first-round victory over Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 last fall. Blaydes, now 18-5, has lost two of his last three fights.

For fans and followers, UFC 304 delivered a night of surprises and decisive victories, marking significant changes in the welterweight and heavyweight divisions.