Watch Israel Adesanya's real-time reaction to Belal Muhammad outclassing Leon Edwards at UFC 304: "Even if he loses this fight, I'm a fan"
Belal Muhammad now has a fan in Israel Adesanya, after his title-winning performance against Leon Edwards at UFC 304. Footage of 'The Last Stylebender' slowly being won over by 'Remember the Name' during the contest is a sight to witness.
Adesanya was clearly on camp Edwards heading into the fight. While the former welterweight champion had his moments in the contest, 'Rocky' was ultimately dominated by his opponent.
Wrestling was what differentiated the pair. Muhammad was more successful than the likes of Kamaru Usman in taking 'Rocky' to the ground.
While Edwards never seemed helpless on the ground, and most of the time managed to get back to his feet, the threat of the takedown left him gun shy from the get-go at the Co-op Live, in Manchester.
Moreover, Muhammad's takedowns were explosive. In the second round, he even picked up Edwards and slammed him on his head, eliciting a strong reaction from Adesanya.
Catch Israel Adesanya reacting to Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad below:
This was far from 'Remember the Name's' only such takedown and the strength discrepancy between the duo was evident each time they ended up grappling. Impressed by Muhammad, 'The Last Stylebender' lauded him during a live reaction on his YouTube channel, saying:
"Jesus Christ, Belal. Even if he loses this fight, I'm a fan of him now... What the f**k. Yo, Belal is nice. He is fighting in Leon's home country, coming for his belt and fighting like this... What a story though [for] Belal to do that after coming back from the eye poke [no contest at UFC Fight Night 187]."
Catch Israel Adesanya's full UFC 304 reaction below:
Belal Muhammad aims to cement his legacy as the "best welterweight ever"
The newly crowned king of welterweights has no plans to slow down. After his statement win over Leon Edwards, Belal Muhammad is now on the hunt to cement himself as the best welterweight of all time.
Given that legendary names like Georges St-Pierre and Kamaru Usman hold some of the most enviable resumes at 170 pounds, Muhammad's ambitions would require a truly herculean effort to achieve.
During the post-fight press conference at UFC 304, the 36-year-old took the first step toward that dream by welcoming a challenge from a dangerous contender. Responding to whether he would be open to face Shavkat Rakhmonov next, Muhammad said:
"Yeah of course. I've literally never turned down a fight, I never back down from anybody... For me, it's now cementing my legacy as the best welterweight to ever do it."
Catch Belal Muhammad's comments below (3:05):