Leon Edwards, Belal Muhammad’s Subsequent Greatest Fights After UFC 304 Outcomes

Belal Muhammad has been campaigning for a welterweight title shot for years. Now, he can say he was proper all alongside after claiming the championship with a unanimous choice win over Leon Edwards in the principle occasion from UFC 304.

The win brings loads of validation to Muhammad and his accomplishments within the cage. However the challenges will not cease now that he is the titleholder.

The welterweight division is in a state of transition. The likes of Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington may be fading out of the image, however there are a handful of intriguing fighters coming down the pike.

Right here, we’ll check out what may very well be coming subsequent for the brand new champion in addition to the dethroned one. Edwards and Muhammad are the now the elder statesmen of the division, however there are some probably intriguing matchups to make subsequent.

Muhammad is lastly the UFC champion after his long-awaited title shot. Holding onto the belt will not be straightforward, although. There are a number of choices for his first title protection and none will likely be straightforward outs.

The obvious alternative may very well be a rematch with Edwards. Each Edwards and Muhammad have an extended resume of being one of the best within the welterweight division. Rocky is not fairly on the stage of the champions which have commanded quick rematches, however back-to-back wins over Kamaru Usman and a win over Colby Covington make a robust case.

With the primary combat between the 2 ending in a No Contest and Muhammad pulling off an upset within the rematch, there may very well be demand for a 3rd combat straight away.

If there is not, the subsequent apparent contender at welterweight is Shavkat Rakhmonov. The 29-year-old is 18-0 with all 18 wins coming by both knockout or submission. The extent of competitors has been questionable. His most up-to-date wins got here towards Geoff Neal and what’s left of Stephen Thompson.

Nevertheless, it would not be onerous for the UFC to market him as the subsequent huge factor within the division given his dominance.

In the event that they wish to go along with one other rising prospect who has been choosing up strong wins then a matchup with Jack Della Maddalena may make sense. He’s 17-2 with wins over Gilbert Burns and Kevin Holland in his final two fights.

If Leon Edwards has a say, the rematch will likely be coming as quickly as he is able to compete once more. Rocky’s epic win streak did not simply begin when he received the title. That is his first loss since 2015 when he misplaced to Kamaru Usman.

Edwards ought to already be campaigning for a rematch and nobody ought to bat a watch if he will get it.

If the UFC is inclined to provide Muhammad one other opponent, then it looks like will probably be Shavkat Rakhmonov. That leaves Edwards probably seeking to get again to a title combat by taking out one in every of two rising prospects within the division.

Jack Della Maddalena might need a case for the title combat. His most up-to-date wins have been over arguably higher competitors than Rakhmonov.

Ian Machado Garry may very well be an intriguing subsequent step for the now former champion. Garry simply notched a win over Michael Web page and the 26-year-old is 15-0. A win over Edwards would vault him into the subsequent stage.

A win for Edwards would show that he nonetheless belong among the many finest within the division.