“It’s hard to see how he will win”

This weekend at UFC 304, current welterweight champion Leon Edwards will defend his title for the third time. The Englishman is set to face the 35-year-old welterweight contender Belal Muhammad in the main event. Earlier this week, former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya shared his thoughts on the upcoming title fight.

“Leon might finish him; I think Leon finishes this fight. I’ve tried to see how Belal can win this fight, maybe with wrestling, but Leon keeps his distance well. Even if he gets close, it’s not certain he can take him down. It’s a bad matchup for Belal. I don’t hate Belal, but it’s hard to see how he will win. It will be tough for him.”

Main Event Analysis

Leon Edwards (22-3, 1 NC) has been on an impressive run, capturing the title with a stunning knockout of Kamaru Usman in 2022 and defending it successfully in their rematch, followed by a dominant performance against Colby Covington. Edwards’ striking and ability to maintain range are key components of his success.

Belal Muhammad (23-3, 1 NC) is riding a nine-fight unbeaten streak, including wins over top contenders like Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady, and Vicente Luque. Known for his relentless pace and grappling, Muhammad has shown he can outwork his opponents, although his finishing rate remains low at just 26% during this streak.

Co-Main Event Breakdown

In the co-main event, interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall will defend his title for the first time against Curtis Blaydes. Aspinall (14-3) recovered from a knee injury that halted their previous bout, winning two straight, including a victory over Sergei Pavlovich. Blaydes (18-4, 1 NC), known for his wrestling, aims to secure a title shot by avenging his earlier loss.

TRENDING:

• Intense Face-Off at UFC 304 Press Conference: Edwards vs. Muhammad
• Francis Ngannou Confirms MMA Return After Boxing Setbacks
• UFC 304: Watch Leon Edwards’ Viral Trickshot Video

UFC 304 Fight Card and Start Times

Main Card – Starts at 10:00 PM ET, Saturday, July 27 (Available on ESPN+ PPV)

• Welterweight: Leon Edwards (c) vs. Belal Muhammad
• Heavyweight: Tom Aspinall (ic) vs. Curtis Blaydes
• Lightweight: Bobby Green vs. Paddy Pimblett
• Middleweight: Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Gregory Rodrigues
• Featherweight: Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze

Preliminary Card – Starts at 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, July 27 (Available on ESPN/ESPN+)

• Flyweight: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape
• Featherweight: Nathaniel Wood vs. Daniel Pineda
• Strawweight: Molly McCann vs. Bruna Brasil
• Bantamweight: Caolan Loughran vs. Jake Hadley

Early Prelims – Starts at 6:00 PM ET, Saturday, July 27 (Available on UFC Fight Pass)

• Heavyweight: Mick Parkin vs. Lukasz Brzeski
• Welterweight: Oban Elliott vs. Preston Parsons
• Welterweight: Sam Patterson vs. Kiefer Crosbie
• Strawweight: Shauna Bannon vs. Alice Ardelean
• Light Heavyweight: Modestas Bukauskas vs. Marcin Prachnio

For more details and updates, refer to MMAnytt.se