Belal Muhammad not only had to win nine straight fights, but he also had to wait on the sidelines for months for a title shot. But now that he finally has his shot, Several MMA fighters as well as pundits have shared in Muhammad’s joy. Chief among the celebrants was Jon Anik himself.
The veteran commentator took to Twitter to share his joy at Muhammad getting a well-deserving title shot. He tweeted saying,
“Always knew UFC would do right by Belal Muhammad. The welterweight champion himself and most of the other top contenders have acknowledged his candidacy as largely undeniable. But until it’s official, you just never know. Congrats to @bullyb170 on getting his earned shot…”
Always knew UFC would do right by Belal Muhammad. The welterweight champion himself and most of the other top contenders have acknowledged his candidacy as largely undeniable. But until it’s official, you just never know. Congrats to @bullyb170 on getting his earned shot…
— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) May 16, 2024
Muhammad last fought in the UFC in May 2023. He secured an impressive win over Gilbert Burns to cement his place as the undisputed number-one challenger. However, he has had to wait a year just for a confirmation.
There were even many instances throughout the year where it seemed as though the UFC was inclined to give someone else a title shot over Muhammad.
The promotion was actively looking to secure a fight between Leon Edwards and Islam Makhachev at UFC 300. But that did not materialize due to Makhachev not wanting to fight during the holy month of Ramadan.
But the fact that the UFC is headed to Manchester later this year and UFC needed Edwards to defend the title on home ground worked out perfectly for Muhammad.
However, this is just the first step for Muhammad towards achieving his ultimate goal in the sport.
A Closer Look at Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad
The champion Leon Edwards will have a significant height advantage stepping into the octagon against Muhammad. He will also have a two-inch reach advantage as well.
That said, Muhammad is the better grappler of the two and will be banking on his grappling to guide him to win. However, that will be easier said than done given ‘Rocky’ has a 70% takedown defense.
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On the feet, it will be Edwards who will undoubtedly have the edge. This is the guy, who KOed Kamaru Usman, and Usman was a grappler and a half to be reckoned with.
However it is interesting to note that Muhammad has a significant strike defense of 57% which will make it harder for Edwards to land those big shots. So here we are, just weeks away from witnessing one of the most evenly matches competitive title fights in recent memory.
