Kamaru Usman gives his early prediction for Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad at UFC 304

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is keeping a keen eye on the upcoming Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad clash.

Edwards will defend the UFC welterweight title against Muhammad to headline UFC 304 on July 27 in Manchester, UK. He returns after defeating Colby Covington in December to face Muhammad in a rematch three years in the making.

Edwards and Muhammad’s first clash resulted in a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke in 2021. Since then, Edwards has won four straight, and Muhammad has continued his unbeaten streak with recent wins over Stephen Thompson and Gilbert Burns.

Usman, who has fought Edwards three times in his career, thinks his rival will get the job done at UFC 304.

Kamaru Usman picks Leon Edwards to beat Belal Muhammad

In a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman gave his immediate reaction to the announcement and predicted Edwards vs. Muhammad.

“I would say I like Belal, but I think Leon,” Usman said. “The sport has changed so much to where guys are learning how to use the cage to get up…it’s not even wrestling anymore, because if you take a guy down close to the cage, they’re gonna use the cage to get back to the feet. And Belal Muhammad I don’t feel is a high enough level of a wrestler to take him down to the center of the cage, and keep him down there…

“This is a very intriguing fight. But, Leon just being the champion, and being confident in being the champion, I think he’s gonna be sharp…if he trains properly, I think he will be victorious.”

Usman also went on to hint at his desire to potentially return to the welterweight division. His last fight was on short notice against Khamzat Chimaev in a middleweight bout in October.

Edwards earned back-to-back wins over Usman, including a head kick knockout at UFC 278 to begin his title reign. He defeated Usman by majority decision in their rematch at UFC 286.

Usman could be knocking on the door of another UFC welterweight title shot and is arguably the greatest welterweight of all time. For now, he’ll be paying close attention to the Edwards vs. Muhammad matchup, especially if Muhammad leaves the UK victorious.