Leon Edwards, Belal Muhammad react to newly announced main event showdown

Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad have both shared their initial reactions to their newly announced welterweight showdown.

On Thursday afternoon, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported that Muhammad has agreed to step in against Edwards in the main event of a March 13 fight card.

Shortly thereafter, both Edwards and Muhammad took to Twitter to react to the news.

See what they had to say below.

Respect for Belal for stepping up when no one else would. March 13 I show I am the best in the world. #StrapSeason

— Leon 'Rocky' Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) February 18, 2021

“Respect for Belal for stepping up when no one else would,” Edwards wrote, giving his new opponent props. “March 13 I show I am the best in the world.”

No guts no glory MAIN EVENT MUHAMMAD pic.twitter.com/gqZbHiOzTN

— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) February 18, 2021

“No guts no glory,” Muhammad wrote in his own Twitter post.

Leon Edwards was originally slated to fight unranked welterweight prospect Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of the March 13 card. Regrettably, Chimaev was forced out of the matchup due to lingering health issues stemming from a previous COVID-19 infection.

Not long after Chimaev withdrew from the card, Edwards made it clear that he intended to stay on the March 13 event against a new opponent. While there were reportedly talks about his fighting Colby Covington, Nate Diaz and Li Jingliang, he was ultimately matched up with Muhammad.

Edwards has not fought since July, 2019, when he picked up a decision victory over former UFC lightweight champion and interim welterweight title challenger Rafael dos Anjos. He was slated to fight former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in early 2020, but the fight fell through due to the early travel restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic. He was then scheduled to fight Chimaev on three different dates, but all three attempts at making the fight fell through.

Edwards is currently on a fantastic, eight-fight winning streak, highlighted by wins over top-flight foes in Vicente Luque, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Gunnar Nelson, and dos Anjos. That streak has earned him the No. 3 spot in the UFC welterweight rankings.

Belal Muhammad, on the other hand, is currently on a four-fight win streak, having recently beaten Curtis Millender, Takashi Sato, Lyman Good, and most recently, Dhiego Lima at last Saturday’s UFC 258 card. That streak has positioned him as the UFC’s No. 13 welterweight contender.

What’s your prediction for this Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad fight?