Belal Muhammad believes Leon Edwards needs to be more likely to take high-profile fights against his region’s top rivals.
Before he started on March 13 against Edwards, Muhammad conducted a candid interview with him Brett Okamoto of ESPN. Muhammad was asked if he thought Leon Edwards was an equally credible fighter with other high-profile stars in the UFC welterweight division.
The Chicago native spoke highly of his opponent and said Leon Edwards ’fight was nothing short of a title opportunity. However, Muhammad pointed out a major flaw that led Rocky to big fights in his six-year tenure with the UFC. Roufusport ‘s position is that Edwards will not use his speaking skills enough to turn more eyeballs than leads, which may translate into more numbers financially.
“He’s in the top three, you know. They offered him a title fight before Gilbert Burns. He lost it and that’s what I look at. I look at this as my title fight. I have to give it a place, its only issue is that it ‘s not very active on social media, it’ s not a great speaker … It ‘s a very hard fight but they (main welterweights) don’t going to earn nothing from fighting him … That’s an issue I feel. (He has to) put the fans behind him anymore.Because he doesn’t have the following … Be active on social media and be like him. I don’t think he likes him. That’s his problem with those other people, “Belal Muhammad said.
Belal Muhammad believes that Leon Edwards is not building a brand for himself
Building your own brand is extremely important for fighters seeking the top spot rather than leaving it in the hands of the UFC. Belal Muhammad embraced this aspect of MMA and told Okamoto that Leon Edwards puts too much faith in his fighting skills on his own anonymously.
“Nowadays it’s all about … getting that extra review. That big money and that’s what people are looking towards … retirement and brand building.But he’s not really building his brand.He just thinks fighting and winning is going to build his brand for him and that’s not going to work . “
Belal Muhammad’s assessment of Leon Edwards is based on facts. Rocky was supposed to fight against Khamzat Chimaev’s hot expectation for the same reason for what brought the two fighters to the table.
Leon Edwards is a No. 3 registered fighter who is not attractive to fans, and Khamzat Chimaev is the most popular unlisted fighter. The fight was beneficial to the pair as the winner would have emerged with a reputation and a number next to a name, perfect for a title opponent position.
When Chimaev was withdrawn due to the tragic symptoms of COVID-19, he left Edwards without an opponent, and none of the top fighters showed interest in taking the fight that was so beneficial but dangerous.
Praising the material in the assessment of Belal Muhammad, who took a huge leap up in competition and accepted the fight on short notice, is a strong piece of evidence.
Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad are expected to fight in the main five-round event of UFC Fight Night 187. It is scheduled to take place on March 13, 2021, at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.