Robert Whittaker recently commented that, despite their remarkably parallel win streaks, Belal Muhammad’s résumé doesn’t quite measure up to that of Leon Edwards.
“Rocky” is scheduled to defend his welterweight title against Muhammad in a rematch set as the main event of UFC 304. The upcoming showdown will take place this weekend at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.
Edwards and Muhammad initially crossed paths in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in March 2021. Unfortunately, an eye poke early in the second round rendered “Remember the Name” unable to continue, resulting in the bout being declared a no-contest.
After their first encounter, “Rocky” secured a title shot by defeating Nate Diaz at UFC 263 and went on to knock out Kamaru Usman to claim the welterweight championship at UFC 278 in August 2022. Currently, Edwards is riding high on a 13-fight unbeaten streak, marked by victories over notable names such as Donald Cerrone, Rafael dos Anjos, and Colby Covington.
Meanwhile, Muhammad had to work his way up the rankings, putting together a five-fight win streak (part of a broader 10-fight unbeaten streak) to finally earn a title opportunity. During his journey, the 36-year-old has triumphed over formidable opponents like Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady, and Stephen Thompson.
However, the former UFC middleweight champion contends that it is the echelon of opponents that “Rocky” has defeated that truly sets him apart from Muhammad…
Whittaker Sees Edwards As More Improved Than Muhammad
During his recent appearance on the MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker weighed in on the clash between Edwards and Muhammad. “The Reaper” noted that the Jamaican-born Englishman has exhibited remarkable evolution in his fighting style compared to his opponent since their no-contest meeting.
“I can see like two possibilities,” Whittaker said. “The first one, Leon Edwards, just being too good. I think the caliber of fights Leon Edwards has had is different from Belal Muhammad’s. Fighting Usman twice is huge, especially when he fought him the first time; that was good. Fighting Colby, like Colby, is a nightmare for everyone, and he was just able to shut him down so well with spectacular spacing. It’s very hard to find a hole, especially, you know, if we compare it to when he fought Nate Diaz, right? And we saw that hole get exposed in the later round or fights before that.”
“I feel like he’s tightened up to a whole new degree, further than he was then, and especially in that last fight, I was so super impressed with just how clean he was. There wasn’t really anything to pick apart; there weren’t any holes or glaring weaknesses to exploit for Colby.”
Whittaker further acknowledged “Remember the Name’s” impressive credentials but remarked that Muhammad would struggle to match Edwards’ relentless pace.
“I find that sort of fight going to be hard for Belal Muhammad, who, you know, is not spectacular in any one field. He’s kind of just really high level at all of them, in my opinion. He’s amazing at everything, but I feel like his greatest strength is that he’s well-rounded. He can take the fight in any direction to get the win. But I think he’s going to have trouble trying to push that sort of game plan on Leon Edwards.”
