Legendary boxer and boxing coach, Teddy Atlas, believes he can correctly predict the winner of UFC 304’s main card event. The UFC will be returning to Manchester, England, this weekend for its annual PPV event in the country. The main event on the night is a rematch three years in the making, with Leon Edwards hoping to defend his welterweight title against Belal Muhammad.
In the most recent episode of his podcast, ‘The Fight With Teddy Atlas,’ the legendary boxing trainer broke down the upcoming title fight and revealed his pick for the win. Altas mentioned that although Muhammad is a solid guy, he has to choose Edwards for the win since he does not make mistakes.
“He is in there with a solid guy in Muhammad, I believe it is going to go over, Muhammad is solid. Edwards is a guy that does not look to do anything extra.”
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There are a few reasons which lead Atlas to believe that Edwards can get the job done. In fact, the boxing coach insisted that Edwards is one of the most efficient strikers he has ever seen.
Moreover, Atlas believes that the Brit never throws a punch wastefully and is an extremely cerebral fighter. In addition to this, he also claimed that Edwards is miles ahead of Muhammad when it comes to striking. Hence, even though the 67-year-old did not comment on the wrestling, he believes the champ has what it takes to defend his title.
A closer look at Edwards vs Muhammad
The common consensus going into the fight is that Edwards is a better striker and Muhammad the better grappler. However, in his past few fights, the Illinois native has displayed a significant improvement in his striking abilities, most notably against Sean Brady, where he secured a knockout win and went toe to toe against Gilbert Burns.
In fact, not only did Muhammad stand his ground and secure a knockout win over Sean Brady, but he also went toe to toe against Gilbert Burns in the striking department. Therefore, from the looks of it, Edwards will not have a significant advantage on the feet.
Still, most fans believe that it will all come down to wrestling and how well Edwards can avoid takedowns to keep his opponent on his feet. The longer he is able to do that, the better his chances of securing a win.
