The welterweight division is filled with some of the best fighters and Leon Edwards currently sits at the top spot. ‘Rocky’ will be defending his title against Belal Muhammad at the upcoming UFC 304 event. ‘Remember the Name’ is fired up for the clash and is desperate to prove why he is the best in the division. The pair previously met in 2021 with the fight ending as a no-contest. Edwards accidentally poked Muhammad in his eyes, thus ending the fight. There is no love lost between the pair, which was evident during the weigh-ins. But why exactly does the 36-year-old hate Edwards? Let us find out what he had to say.

Belal Muhammad recently appeared at the UFC 304: Morning Weigh-In show on YouTube. After successfully making weight, the challenger shared his plans going into the fight. ‘Remember the Name’ is currently on a five-fight winning streak and is eyeing the title next. The 36-year-old seems to be in high spirits and many experts even consider him as the favorite. Both ‘Rocky’ and Muhammad engaged in a lot of heated conversation during their pre-fight press conference. It seems ‘Remember the Name’ is yet to move on from his last encounter. But why exactly does he not like Edwards?

While speaking to former champion Michael Bisping on UFC’s official YouTube channel, Muhammad gave his reasons which revolve around their previous fight. The 36-year-old said, “I just think it was the whole sequence of things rights from the first fight.” He then pointed out as to how Edwards and his team disrespected him, “Disrespect that I got from the fans. The whole situation. The way he tried to play it off and his team tried to like shut me off”. 

Belal Muhammad also claimed as to how similar his situation was to ‘Rocky’ before he won the title. The American star seemed upset with his fellow fighters as well and felt many disrespected him before his dream run began. He said, “And I have been getting the same type of disrespect from everybody.” The 36-year-old is now on a mission to prove to everyone that he is better than the champion.

Looking at his recent form, ‘Remember the Name’ is unbeaten in his last five fights. His wrestling is second to none, and he is also capable of knocking people out. But all these stats don’t bother the current champion Leon Edwards, as he feels Muhammad is just another fighter.

Leon Edwards confident of winning his fight against Belal Muhammad

Leon Edwards’ rise to the top is an inspiring story for every youngster out there. ‘Rocky’ throughout his career has always been an underdog in most of his fights. However, things have changed since the time he won the title against Kamaru Usman. ‘Rocky’ is now chasing greatness and looking to match GSP (26 victories, 2 defeats, and 12 title defenses) and feels Muhammad is just a fighter in the process.

During the pre-fight press conference, Edwards was asked about his opinion on his upcoming fight. He was quick to respond, “He’s just another guy in the way, right? I’m chasing the great GSP’s record because he is another opponent in the way.” Muhammad, on the other hand, has openly challenged the champion. During his recent appearance at the ‘Weighing In’ podcast, the 36-year-old made it clear that he will indeed be the toughest opponent for ‘Rocky’.

Edwards, however, isn’t quite bothered about the whole. The champion has worked extremely hard during his preparation and has taken special care of his wrestling skills. The 32-year-old also took time to give a reality check to the challenger, saying, “Everyone knows his gameplan will be to come out and try wrestling. But even his wrestling, it ain’t all that. He ain’t f**king Khabib [Nurmagomedov] or GSP, he’s Belal. Let’s see.” 

Who do you think will win the fight at UFC 304? Let us know in the comments below.