“Wrestling provides great aerobic fitness,” Edwards said of his win over Muhammad.

Vicente Luque predicts Leon Edwards will beat Belal Muhammad at UFC 304.

Edwards (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) will defend his welterweight title in a rematch against Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) in the main event of Co-op Live in Manchester, England on July 27.

Luque believes Muhammed has made a lot of progress since facing Edwards in the second round in 2021. Having fought both Muhammed and Edwards vs. Muhammed twice, Luque offered his insight into the title bout rematch.

“It's a crazy fight,” Luque told MMA Junkie Radio. “The first fight ended with a poke to the eye, but I think Leon was in better shape and would have beaten Belal. But since then, I feel like Belal has had a great winning streak. He's really honed his craft and knows what kind of fighter he is now. He's a guy who doesn't make a lot of mistakes inside the Octagon.”

Luque knocked Muhammad out in their first bout in 2016, but Muhammad got his revenge by beating Luque when they met again in 2022.

Luque also lost to Edwards via grappling in 2017 and believes the champion's striking will ultimately be the deciding factor against Muhammad.

“For me, I would say it's really even,” Luque said. Both fighters can really win. I would say it's about 50-50, but I'd bet a little bit on Leon because I think he has more variety in his strikes and some very accurate strikes. That could change the course of the fight. I know they both wrestle really well. I think Leon has better cardio for wrestling.

“In my fight, I did a lot of wrestling, which tired me out. Then he just threw punches, boxed and mixed in some wrestling. Given Leon's little bit of experience and ability, I give him a slight edge. Still, it was a very close fight for me.”

For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC 304 event hub.