Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad have unfinished business, but Edwards' coach Dave Lovell said it's not personal.
The first fight between Edwards and Muhammad took place in the main event of UFC APEX's March 2021 card in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, Muhammad was unable to continue in the fight after being gored in the eye early in the second round resulting in a no-contest.
Amid rumors of a rematch, this time with Edwards competing as the UFC welterweight champion, LaBelle recalled how the team looked at Muhammad, who succumbed to a foul.
“This is not revenge for us,” Lovell told talkSPORT MMA. “We think if that eyeball hadn't happened, the way this fight went, Leon would have finished him in the second round.
“When you look back and analyze the game, I think Beral was looking for a way out. He was trying to steal a decision. It's funny because he heard it and the world heard it. He didn't have any damage to his eye and he didn't have to go to the hospital to get an eye exam. He didn't even need to go to the hospital, so what does that tell you? If the medical personnel after the fight made him okay and said you're okay, what does that say to you? tried to steal the decision, but as you know, retaliation is very difficult, and you can see that.”
Mr Muhammad has already responded to clips of the interview on social media, warning that Mr LaBelle intends to control Mr Edwards.
Remember this statement after round 4? Leon is looking for your motivational speech after I slapped him for 20 minutes.
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) April 23, 2024
“Remember this statement after the fourth round: Leon expects your motivational speech after I beat him up for 20 minutes,” Muhammad wrote.
The extent of Muhammad's eye damage was unknown immediately after the fight with Edwards, but he later announced that there was no permanent damage. A list of medical suspensions subsequently announced confirmed that Muhammad was not seriously injured but would require clearance from an ophthalmologist before his next match.
Assuming the rematch is booked and goes off without a hitch, Lovell already knows what to expect in terms of Muhammad's strategy.
“For me, Belal can bring all the best in wrestling,” Lovell said. “Leon has proven to the world that he can wrestle the strongest opponents. I don't think Belal will want to stand up and attack right away. He got his ass served for a round and a half in their last fight, so if he's Leon I don't think I'd want to stand with him. I mean, slam Leon into the cage, get him down, hit a maul when he's down, and maybe try to steal the decision that way. Leon covers all the bases.”
Excluding no contests, both Edwards and Mohamed are on long winning streaks, with Edwards on a 12-fight winning streak and Mohamed on a nine-fight winning streak. During this period, Edwards also won and defended the UFC welterweight title, defeating Kamaru Usman twice and making a lopsided defense against Colby Covington at UFC 296.
The English champion has a number of options, with the likes of Shavkat Rakhmonov, Khamzat Chimaev and Islam Makhachev targeting him, but Lavelle hopes Mohammad will make that decision. The UFC just announced its return to Manchester, England on July 27th, so it seems like the perfect time for Edwards and Mohamed to resolve their grudges locally.
“The UFC is almost over, but in July?” Lavelle said. “So there's no doubt that Leon will be on that bill. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to accomplish this. [UFC 300] Charge for any reason. The young men they entrusted to him, Shavqat, Khamzat, and Islam, were all fasting. I was ready, but this is what it looks like now.
“I think it's going to be Beral because he wasn't on the $300 bill and there's definitely a massive Muslim emergency in England and Manchester. It's not written in stone, but 99.9 I think it will be Belal.”
