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1 of the biggest shockers from UFC 304

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1 of the biggest shockers from UFC 304

As a long-time MMA fan and follower of the UFC scene, I’ve seen my fair share of shocking outcomes in the Octagon. But none have left me as speechless as Belal Muhammad’s dominant performance over Leon Edwards at UFC 304.

Each week brings another thrilling night of combat in the UFC, the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization. Through these events, we gain valuable insights into the top fighters and have our beliefs confirmed. Yet, UFC 304 delivered unexpected twists as well, making it a challenging article to write.

As a devoted fan looking back on an unpredictable night of fights, it was a challenge to single out just one jaw-dropping moment for this article. Paddy Pimblett’s submission over King Green, Muhammad Mokaev’s unexpected release from the promotion, and Manel Kape’s puzzling lack of action during the fight were all strong candidates for the title of biggest surprise. However, there was only one clear-cut answer that stood out to me: it had always been Belal Muhammad in the back of my mind as the night’s most stunning upset.

As the early hours of 6 a.m. approached, Muhammad put on an astonishingly strong display against Leon Edwards, taking the throne in their match during the late hours of the night. It wasn’t entirely unexpected that Muhammad would excel on the ground, but Edwards underperformed significantly more than anticipated.

Before the major bout, most spectators believed Muhammad had no chance of victory and bookmakers mirrored this opinion by heavily favoring Edwards.

Previously, at a UFC APEX event on March 13, 2021, we had witnessed these two fighters clash. However, their encounter ended as a no-contest when Muhammad accidentally poked Edwards in the eye during the second round. Despite this, Edwards’ striking abilities left Muhammad struggling in their initial encounter which was quite brief. Since then, both athletes have progressed significantly over the past three years. Nevertheless, many spectators didn’t notice enough change in Muhammad’s approach to suggest that he could challenge Edwards in a rematch.

Belal Muhammad’s performance over Leon Edwards shocked the oddsmakers

It turns out we underestimated Muhammad’s grappling skills. Although it had been effective for him in the past against Sean Brady and Gilbert Burns, we didn’t think it would play a major role against Edwards. In fact, we believed Edwards’ impressive takedown defense would make it difficult for Muhammad to get the fight to the ground. We reasoned that previous opponents like Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington, and Rafael dos Anjos all struggled in this area when facing Edwards. However, we were wrong to assume Muhammad would face similar challenges.

About a month ago, at UFC 302, Islam Makhachev successfully defended his title for the third time against Dustin Poirier. In the aftermath of the bout, fans and pundits speculated about how Makhachev would match up against Leon Edwards in a hypothetical welterweight championship encounter. Many believed that Edwards would come out on top due to his larger stature, superior striking techniques, and robust takedown defense during previous bouts. At that time, Edwards was highly regarded based on these factors. However, this upcoming fight significantly changed the perspectives of many regarding the potential outcome.

During the entire night fight, Muhammad outperformed the previous champion, Edwards, in the clinch position and skillfully used the cage to weaken and bring him down. It was an unusual subpar display from Edwards, who appeared drained as soon as he entered the Octagon. However, the timing of the event doesn’t entirely account for his performance. Muhammad proved to be the superior fighter that night.

Muhammad received expert training from Khabib Nurmagomedov prior to this fight, with Nurmagomedov devising a strategy for Muhammad to emerge victorious against Edwards. It’s clear to see why this plan was effective when observing Muhammad’s tactics in the ring. Armed with an impeccably crafted game plan, Muhammad stunned the world with his impressive performance in Manchester.

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2024-07-29 02:09

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