By Leobert Julian A.de la Peña
A new king just emerged in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
After waiting for almost three years for the rematch to take place, Belal Muhammad took advantage of the huge opportunity given to him after dethroning Leon Edwards to become the new welterweight champion of the UFC on July 28, 2024.
The massive victory snapped Edwards’ 13-fight UFC unbeaten streak while becoming the first man in professional mixed martial arts (MMA) to defeat the former champion since 2015.
It was a make-or-break performance for Muhammad as he needed the huge win to stay in the conversation of the top dogs currently active in the UFC’s welterweight division.
From the get-go, Muhammad didn’t let Edwards establish his stand-up game as he quickly scored a takedown to capture the tempo of the championship fight.
Despite Edwards backpedaling at the start of the second round, Muhammad hounded him around the octagon to clinch another significant takedown score and take a comfortable 2-0 lead in the round scoring.
Just when Muhammad thought he could sustain his exhausting pace, Edwards sparked a comeback attempt in the third round when he nearly completed a choke attempt after a successful takedown.
However, the larger Muhammad wisely sprawled away from his dangerous position and re-established his game plan by sending in a flurry of jabs.
Edwards had another great start in the fourth round as he hit Muhammad with a clean 1-2 jab-straight combination but the ferocious challenger stepped on the gas pedal in the final three minutes of the frame, bagging another takedown that changed the complexion of the fight.
Already up in the scorecards after a convincing performance in rounds 1,2 and 4, Muhammad wisely played safe in the fifth, disengaging in the middle of the octagon everytime Edwards swung haymakers.
Muhammad then put the cherry on top when he tallied another takedown in the final two minutes of the last round that prevented any momentum from Edwards.
