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MMA journalist Ariel Helwani reported that Leon Edwards is expected to defend his welterweight title at UFC 300.
On December 16, Edwards defended his 170-pound strap for the second time when he secured a unanimous decision win against Colby Covington in the UFC 296 main event. Since then, the MMA community has debated on when ‘Rocky’ should fight next, as he’s expected to fight Belal Muhammad.
Earlier today, Conor McGregor dropped a bombshell, stating that he will be fighting Michael Chandler on June 29 during International Fight Week. Therefore, the rumors of ‘The Notorious’ headlining UFC 300 have likely been debunked.
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As a result, the historic UFC 300 event still needs a main event. Following McGregor’s announcement, Helwani had this to say about Edwards reportedly fighting Muhammad at the upcoming spectacle on April 13:
“As he mentioned yesterday, the plan is for Leon Edwards to defend his title at UFC 300. As of now, the opponent slated to face him would be Belal Muhammad. Shavkat Rakhmonov definitely was in the mix, too.”
It should be noted that Edwards could fight at UFC 300 without headlining the event, which will likely have more than one title fight.
Watch Conor McGregor’s announcement video below:
Ariel Helwani confirms Conor McGregor "pushed hard" for fight at UFC 300 before Leon Edwards report
There was widespread speculation that Conor McGregor would headline UFC 300. Assuming that his recent announcement is true, the MMA community will likely be disappointed that the UFC legend won’t be featured on the historic fight card.
Ariel Helwani confirmed on X that McGregor hoped his return fight would be on April 13:
“International Fight Week is in fact slated for June 29 in Vegas. First time that IFW will be in June. It’s usually that first or second Saturday in July. McGregor wanted to fight at 300. He pushed hard for it. He was ready, I’m told. But after meeting with the brass last week, they settled on June 29.”
McGregor hasn’t fought since July 2021, when he suffered a severe leg injury during his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier.
As for Michael Chandler, the former Bellator lightweight champion last fought in November 2022, losing against Poirier by third-round submission.
