Welterweight champion Leon Edwards defends his title in a much-anticipated rematch with #2-ranked Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 304. The five-round championship fight will occur on Saturday, July 27, at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
Edwards (22-3-0, 7 KOs) has not lost a fight since 2015 and is riding a 12-fight win streak. "Rocky" successfully defended his belt twice last year with victories over Colby Covington and former titleholder Kamaru Usman.
Muhammad (23-3-0, 5 KOs) has won nine straight fights and will be stepping into the Octagon for the first time in 14 months. "Remember the Name" won a unanimous decision over Gilbert Burns in his last fight at UFC 288 in 2023.
In the co-main event, interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall (14-3-0) will put his title on the line against Curtis Blaydes (18-4-0).
New York sportsbook BetMGM has Edwards (-210) as the heavy favorite to retain his welterweight belt against Muhammad (+175). The champion accidentally poked the challenger in the eye in their first fight in 2021, which ended in a no-contest.
Edwards is an elite MMA striker who uses a vast arsenal of fighting styles to confuse his opponents. The Jamaican-born southpaw is also adept at utilizing kicks, elbows, and jabs to keep opposing fighters at a distance. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, the champion is a standout kickboxer and a master in executing rear kicks.
The 32-year-old boasts a Southpaw double threat - devastating left crosses and left body kicks that are both powerful and accurate. Edwards' kicking game also includes head kicks and leg kicks, which he likes to set up with his crosses and jabs. He lands 2.75 significant strikes per minute with a 53% striking accuracy rate, making him favorite across legal sportsbooks for UFC.
Although Edwards is not looking past Muhammad, he does have a plan to chase dual-division titles.
"I would like to go up and challenge for the Middleweight belt, that is my goal," Edwards said. "My excitement is me getting another belt. My plan was to go next year. Defend my belt twice this year, that will be four defenses. Maybe one more
Muhammad is also a capable striker who lands 4.55 significant strikes per minute while connecting on 43% of his strikes. The American has a relentless fighting style that utilizes his boxing and wrestling skills to overwhelm his opponents.
The 36-year-old is a well-rounded fighter who has won 17 of his 23 career wins via a decision. He averages 1.98 takedowns per 15 minutes with a 35% accuracy rate. However, Muhammad boasts an impressive 93% takedown defense.
During a recent interview with MiddleEasy, Muhammad did not hide his disdain for the champion.
"I hate his guts," Muhammad said. "The Leon fight, they're trying to avoid me. Him trying to act like downplaying my accomplishments and telling me I don't deserve it, I never earned it. That stuff does nothing but piss me off. It's fueling me with hatred for this guy, and I just can't wait to get in there and get my hands on him.
"You're the champion of the world," Muhammad continued. "If you're the best fighter in the world, fight the best guy in the division that's right behind you. I know I'm the best in the world, and he knows I'm the best in the world. That's why he's trying to avoid this fight because I'm the toughest matchup for him. He's trying to do anything he can do to hold on to the belt as long as possible."
Betting Pick: Edwards
Betting odds for this interesting welterweight contest are live on popular New York sportsbooks, including BetMGM, which has Edwards as a -210 favorite. The most common bet type for this UFC fight is the moneyline, a wager on who will win the fight outright.
Considering how Edwards' camp accused the challenger of trying to steal a win in their first encounter after being accidentally poked in the eye, the champion is our bet to win the fight. A $100 wager on the British titleholder at odds of -210 would net a total payout of $147.62.
The Over/Under bet is another popular type, where you wager on the number of rounds the fight will last. Given that five of Edward's previous six fights have gone into the fifth round, we do not expect the fight to end early. Thus, betting Over 3.5 rounds could be a winning pick.
The five-round welterweight title fight will take place on Saturday, July 27, at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England. UFC fans in New York can watch the fight live on ESPN+ Pay-per-view.
Welterweight champion Leon Edwards is the favorite to retain his belt opposite Belal Muhammad at UFC 304. BetMGM has Edwards as a -210 betting favorite, while Muhammad is the +175 underdog.
Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall (14-3-0) will defend his belt against Curtis Blaydes (18-4-0) in the co-main event. Other fights on the undercard include a lightweight battle featuring #15-ranked King Green (32-15-1) butting heads against unranked Paddy Pimblett (21-3-0), a flyweight matchup pitting #6-ranked Muhammad Mokaev (12-0-0-) against #8-ranked Manel Kape (19-6-0), an interesting featherweight clash between #6-ranked Arnold Allen (19-3-0) and #10-ranked Giga Chikadze (15-3-0), a women's strawweight bout with Molly McCann (14-6-0) and Bruna Brasil (9-4-1), and a featherweight matchup featuring Nathaniel Wood (20-6) squaring off against Daniel Pineda (28-15-0).
Mixed martial arts fans can place bets during the fight with live UFC odds that are constantly updated based on the real action inside the Octagon. The most popular types of in-play wagers offered include moneyline bets on the predicted winner, the method of victory, and how long the fight will last.
UFC fans can place various bets on this highly anticipated welterweight championship fight at BetMGM, a trusted and well-known sportsbook in New York.
