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 Stay 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 feel Leon (will win),” Usman mentioned on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “Wrestling just isn’t sufficient. The game has modified a lot to the place guys are studying easy methods to use the cage to rise up. It’s not even actually wrestling anymore, as a result of in case you take a man down up near the cage, they’re going to make use of the cage and so they’re going to get again to the toes.

“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 right down to the middle of the cage and maintain him down there and win the struggle there. Belal, his stage is certainly up there now to the place he can change stance. He can struggle out of each stances. He mixes it up, and he is aware of easy methods to management his tempo. That’s the most important factor. You noticed it within the Burns struggle: He is aware of easy methods to management his tempo.”

Edwards was capable of fend off Colby Covington’s wrestling for probably 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.

“This can be a very intriguing struggle,” Usman mentioned. “However Leon simply being the champion, and being assured in being the champion, I feel he’s going to be sharp.”

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