Belal Muhammad shares with Joe Rogan how he analyzed Leon Edwards's fights with Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington to his benefit
Belal Muhammad explained why he was successful against Leon Edwards.
At UFC 304, Muhammad denied the betting odds, which had him as a 2-1 underdog, and became the new welterweight champion. The 36-year-old's unanimous decision win against Edwards was arguably the best of his career, coming at the perfect time for him to silence the doubters.
'Remember The Name' recently joined Joe Rogan on his podcast, 'The Joe Rogan Experience,' to discuss his life-changing performance. Muhammad revealed Edwards' last wins against Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman influenced his game plan for the UFC 304 main event:
"When we saw him against Colby [Covington] and him against [Kamaru] Usman, the third fight, we saw that he's an experience at distance. He manages the distance, he puts it at his own pace. So, we were like, bro, we gotta make this the dirtiest fight, the hardest fight for him, we gotta step right away." [1:43-1:54]
Muhammad followed up by saying:
"Even when the ref was looking to me, telling me to back up, when he looked at Leon and said, 'You ready? You ready?' I'm walking forward right away, so I'm in his face before he even looks up. So, I was like I gotta get him on his back foot right away, make him uncomfortable. [1:54-2:06]
"I knew he's not good uncomfortable, no striker is really good moving backwards. I knew Leon specifically, I don't want to be in his kick range. I don't want him at his slow pace like he did against Colby and these guys." [2:06-2:19]
Belal Muhammad's UFC 304 game plan worked perfectly, as he smothered Leon Edwards for five rounds. 'Remember The Name' cashed in on his life's work, but he now looks forward to the next welterweight title challenger.
Watch Belal Muhammad's entire appearance on 'The Joe Rogan Experience' below:
What's next for Belal Muhammad?
The top two-ranked UFC welterweights, Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman, likely won't be Belal Muhammad's next opponents. Meanwhile, the third-ranked fighter at 170 pounds, Shavkat Rakhmonov, could be the perfect candidate for a title shot.
Rakhmonov holds an undefeated professional MMA record (18-0), including six wins inside the Octagon. Furthermore, the 29-year-old has never been to the judge's scorecards, with every one of his wins being a finish.
It's unclear if Rakhmonov will face Muhammad next or compete in a number-one contender bout. If he does need another win, it'll be intriguing to see if 'Remember The Name' remains sidelined following his title-winning performance.