Those who are not fans of Belal Muhammad must have felt justified upon seeing UFC CEO Dana White’s mood at the UFC 304 post-fight press conference immediately following his title win. Muhammad toppled Leon Edwards in the card’s main event via unanimous decision to capture the UFC welterweight championship. Though he was able to get his shots in on the feet, perhaps his best work came with his strong wrestling background. “Remember the Name” constantly pressured Edwards, bringing him to the fence on multiple occasions to score takedowns.
Muhammad controlled Edwards in a way no one had ever seen before, though Edwards landed nasty elbows in the fight’s closing seconds that could have troubled Muhammad had the fight had more time. Muhammad’s wrestling-heavy offense has led to him being negatively received by many fans, and it appeared from the moment White wrapped the belt around his waist in the Octagon that the UFC CEO was not impressed.
Dana White wasn't thrilled by the #UFC304 main event.
“Wasn’t a barn burner… Belal [Muhammad has] been training with Khabib, so his performance was what you would expect.”
“It wasn’t a barnburner,” White said matter-of-factly at the press conference.
Dana White Says Belal Muhammad Gameplan Was ‘What You Would Expect’
Following that remark, a journalist questioned White about whether Edwards' performance, as well as others on the card, had been affected by the late start time. The event aired in its usual pay-per-view slot, beginning at 3:10 AM in England after a 10-minute delay due to extended preliminaries.
It is important to highlight that the decision to maintain the original start time, rather than adjusting it to a more UK-friendly schedule, is generally attributed to ESPN, not the UFC. The extent to which the UFC could have pushed for alternative arrangements has been a topic of considerable discussion. White refrained from commenting on the issue, directing reporters in Manchester to ask Edwards directly about his performance.
However, the UFC did indicate that Edwards was likely not caught off guard by Muhammad's strategy, given his training sessions with former undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“I know Belal has been training with Khabib,” White said. “So his performance is…what you would expect.”
Muhammad and Edwards faced off again after their 2021 bout ended in a no contest due to an accidental eye poke. Both fighters had impressive unbeaten streaks.
UFC 304 resulted in “Rocky” experiencing his first loss since battling Kamaru Usman in December 2015. As for Muhammad, his last defeat was against Geoff Neal in January 2019.