At UFC 304, Belal Muhammad has ensured that everyone will ‘Remember The Name’  for years to come! Coming into the fight with history against the champion, Leon Edwards, Muhammad was determined to make a statement with his performance. At the pre-fight press conference, Muhammad had boldly stated, “I want to torture him. I want him to realize how much better I am than him.”

Their first meeting inside the Octagon in 2021 ended in the second round due to an accidental eye-poke leaving Muhammad unable to continue. This time around, Muhammad displayed a fire that made him undeniable inside the cage as he shut down all the doubters and became the first-ever Palestinian champion in the UFC!

Belal Muhammad makes history at UFC 304 against Leon Edwards   

When he was working his way toward the top of the welterweight division and title contention, Belal Muhammad had confessed that he carried the hopes of his people with him every time he stepped into the Octagon. “For me now, I have a voice for the voiceless. There aren’t a lot of Palestinian athletes that have a stage or platform where they can carry the flag”, a determined Muhammad had stated before he faced Demian Maia at UFC 263.

Coming into the UFC 304 clash against ‘Rocky’, many felt as though Muhammad losing was a foregone conclusion, considering the fact that Edwards had no trouble dealing with wrestling heavy fighters like Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington before him. The odds also reflected the same as before the fight began, Edwards was a -265 favorite with Muhammad coming in as the underdog at +215 on the odds.

The fight started with Muhammad securing an early takedown, setting the tone for the round and a sign of things to come later in the fight. Throughout the next five rounds, Muhammad continued his aggressive approach, closing the distance with strikes and shooting in whenever he had Edwards backed up against the cage. In the second round, Edwards managed to reverse the positions and ended on top. The third round was huge for the British fighter as he secured a body-triangle and spent most of the round attempting to secure a choke with Muhammad displaying stellar defense.  The final round was crucial, with both fighters knowing the title was on the line.

The striking exchanges continued, with Muhammad maintaining a higher volume. Muhammad went for another takedown, and Edwards grabbed the cage, earning a warning from the referee. Muhammad took Edwards’ back once more, locking in a body lock. However, Edwards reversed the position late in the round, landing a massive elbow that opened up Muhammad.

As the fight concluded, it was clear that both fighters had their moments, but Muhammad’s relentless pressure and grappling seemed to give him the edge. The judges scored the bout 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46, declaring Belal Muhammad the winner by unanimous decision and becoming the first-ever Palestinian UFC champion!

With the massive win secured, and the ghosts of his past laid to rest, Muhammad’s journey to achieving this historic feat demonstrated that no matter the odds stacked against you, one can rise above and let the record books ‘Remember The Name’! But while Muhammad basks in the glory of his history-making win, Leon Edwards has come out and put UFC CEO Dana White on blast for UFC 304’s timing which has been a contentious issue ever since the event was announced!

‘Rocky’ puts Dana White on blast for UFC 304 timings  

The UK fans were bustling with excitement when UFC 304 was announced for the Co-Op Live Manchester Arena featuring two beloved British champions defending their respective titles in Tom Aspinall and Leon Edwards. However, the main card began at 3 AM which drew a lot of criticism from many prominent voices in the MMA Sphere. Curtis Blaydes, who took on Aspinall for the interim heavyweight title, had raised the issue by proclaiming, “You wouldn’t have McGregor fight at 4 AM. Regardless of where it is in the world.”

As such, when interviewed by Daniel Cormier after the heart-breaking loss, Leon Edwards indicated that he wasn’t on his game possibly due to the odd hours of the fight. As reported by Luke Thomas on X, he shared, “Leon Edwards says he felt tired from the timing of the event.”

It remains to be seen if the UFC will address these concerns in the future and whether more UK cards will be held at better timings to ensure peak performance for the athletes. Nevertheless, the win by Belal Muhammad who seemingly wasn’t affected by the adverse timings at all, also drew a massive wave of support for the newly crowned welterweight champion from many UFC fighters and a call-out from a possible future challenger for the 170 lbs. crown!

Former welterweight champion and others shower Belal Muhammad with congratulations

Former UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman joined in the chorus of congratulations for Muhammad’s history-making performance. But with ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ still holding the number 1 spot in the division’s rankings at the time of writing, will this lead to another attempt at regaining his crown for Usman?

Shavkat Rakhmonov, currently undefeated in the UFC and holding the no. 3 spot in the rankings praised Muhammad for his win but made it clear that he is gunning for the title next. Muhammad in a previous interview with ‘The Schmo’ had made it clear that, “When my career is all said and done, I want to be the guy that beat every single great guy in my era. Every guy that they thought would beat me, I want to walk through them all.”

Islam Makhachev also congratulated Muhammad for his hard-fought win with a story on his Instagram account. The Dagestani camp had been instrumental in Muhammad’s preparation for this bout. In an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri ahead of the fight, ‘Remember the Name’ indicated, “There’s no hidden juice, hidden secret with the whole thing with them. Their team is just all about hard work.” With Makhachev already interested in gunning for the welterweight title, and Muhammad unwilling to fight his friend and training partner, it remains to be seen how UFC CEO Dana White handles the upcoming matchups for both fighters.

“@islam_makhachev: You deserve it @bullyb170 congrats”

With some exciting matchups already on the horizon, Belal Muhammad’s reign as champion promises to be filled with incredible welterweight bouts. The MMA world will be watching closely to see how he defends his title and continues to inspire others to achieve their dreams with his undeniable victory against Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards. What fight would you like to see Belal Muhammad take on next? Let us know your pick in the comments below!