Muhammad’s wrestling not high-level sufficient for Edwards

Kamaru Usman picks Leon Edwards to beat Belal Muhammad at UFC 304.

Edwards (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defends his welterweight title in a rematch towards Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) within the July 27 foremost occasion at Co-op Dwell in Manchester, England.

Usman has misplaced to Edwards twice in championship fights, however each contests had been aggressive. The previous welterweight champion simply doesn’t see Muhammad being able to manage Edwards on the bottom.

“I might say I like Belal, however I believe Leon (will win),” Usman mentioned on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “Wrestling isn’t sufficient. The game has modified a lot to the place guys are studying the way to use the cage to stand up. It’s not even actually wrestling anymore, as a result of when you take a man down up near the cage, they’re going to make use of the cage they usually’re going to get again to the ft.

“Guys are getting actually, actually good at that. … And Belal Muhammad, I don’t really feel, is a excessive sufficient stage of a wrestler to take him all the way down to the middle of the cage and hold him down there and win the combat there. Belal, his stage is unquestionably up there now to the place he can swap stance. He can combat out of each stances. He mixes it up, and he is aware of the way to management his tempo. That’s the most important factor. You noticed it within the Burns combat: He is aware of the way to management his tempo.”

Edwards was in a position to fend off Colby Covington’s wrestling for essentially the most half to notch his second title protection at UFC 296. Though Usman thinks Muhammad manages his tempo higher than Edwards, he doesn’t suppose it’ll be sufficient.

“It is a very intriguing combat,” Usman mentioned. “However Leon simply being the champion, and being assured in being the champion, I believe he’s going to be sharp.”

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