The UFC is returning to Manchester, England for the first time since 2016. UFC 304, which takes place on July 28th, will feature a welterweight title fight with Leon Edwards defending his belt against #2 ranked contender Belal Muhammad. After a long absence, Muhammad is returning to action and recently trained with legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov in Dagestan.

In a recent episode of his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Joe Rogan and his friends discussed the change in Belal Muhammad’s fighting style after watching UFC Fight Night: Saudi Arabia.

Joe Rogan applauds Team Khabib for elevating Belal Muhammad

Belal Muhammad, known for his fearsome grappling skills and an impressive UFC record of 23-3-0, last year emerged victorious with a TKO against Gilbert Burns. On a recent episode of JRE, Joe Rogan with his friends Bryan Callen, Brendan Schaub, and Brian Simpson, were discussing the Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov fight. After the discussion, the conversation shifted to how amazing Gilbert Burns is, then abruptly turned to his recent defeat against Belal Muhammad at UFC 288.

“But he’s got that one loss,” Rogan noted. “But you know, it’s to Belal too. Belal is f**king good; no one gives him credit. Now when B says, Oh, Brady’s just not very good, ‘ then you find out Brady’s pretty good, and that’s how Belal is. Yeah, Belal is really f**king good.”

Rogan then connected this to Belal’s recent training stint with Khabib, Islam Makhachev, and their team in Dagestan, suggesting it elevated his skills to a whole new level.

Following his training in Dagestan, Belal Muhammad lobbied for a title shot against Leon Edwards. Their previous title match at UFC Fight Night 187 in 2021 was canceled due to an eye poke. Despite his desire for a rematch, the UFC didn’t initially grant Belal’s request. However, his wish will be fulfilled as he’s now on the UFC 304 card. It’s worth noting that Joe Rogan publicly expressed his support for the matchup in January

Joe Rogan’s ultimatum on Belal vs Leon Edwards

Belal Muhammad had been campaigning for a title shot against the UFC welterweight champion despite the latter’s impressive nine-fight winning streak. In January, rumors swirled about a potential Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad fight at UFC 300, but the UFC CEO Dana White remained tight-lipped. Joe Rogan and Sean Brady then weighed in with their opinion on the situation.

On a JRE MMA episode, Sean Brady discussed Belal Muhammad. “Belal’s good.  I’m happy for him. He went on to beat Gilbert, he’s gonna fight for the belt next.” Joe Rogan queried, “Is that established? “ Is he definitely fighting for the belt next?”

Brady mentioned that even though it’s not official, Belal is the most deserving contender for Leon Edwards. “They haven’t announced it but there’s nobody else,” Brady added. Rogan seemed to agree with it and said, “I would hope nobody leapfrogs him. He deserves it.”

The UFC 300 fight never materialized, but the consistent demand of fans and perhaps the discussion between Sean Brady and Joe Rogan on JRE MMA seem to have paid off. Now the fans will get to see these two powerful welterweight fighters clash in the octagon in Manchester, England.

Who are you more excited to see in action, Leon Edwards or Belal Muhammad? Let us know in the comments!