Leon Edwards laughs off Belal Muhammad’s takedown threat: “He ain’t f*cking Khabib or GSP"

Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad are set to clash for the welterweight title in the main event of UFC 304 on 27 July. On paper, the bout is a classic 'striker vs. grappler' matchup, but Edwards recently dismissed the takedown threat his opponent presents.

Muhammad recently stated that should he defeat 'Rocky', the victory would place him alongside Georges St. Pierre as the consensus greatest welterweight of all-time. 'GSP' was a master as the shoot-box fighting style, which mixed striking and wrestling in combination to great success.

St. Pierre is regarded as one of the best wrestlers in UFC history, and the current welterweight king is adamant his upcoming opponent falls far short of the Canadian's standard.

'Rocky' appeared in front of the media ahead of his title defense and said:

"Everyone knows his gameplan will be to come out and try wrestling. But even his wrestling, it ain't all that. He ain't f**king Khabib [Nurmagomedov] or GSP, he's Belal. Let's see."

Watch Leon Edwards' interview below (3:20):

Edwards became the first man to officially take down former champion Kamaru Usman when the pair met at UFC 278. Having defeated Usman twice in a row, as well as elite grappler Colby Covington in his previous title defense, 'Rocky' is more than accustomed to preparing for a wrestler.

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Kamaru Usman breaks down Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad

Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad will headline UFC 304 in a highly anticipated rematch of their UFC Vegas 21 clash in 2021.

Their first meeting ended prematurely as Muhammad was on the receiving end of a brutal eye poke and was unable to continue fighting. Since that night, both men have showcased excellent performances and their pay-per-view clash should be an exciting clash given the bubbling tension between them.

Kamaru Usman, who has faced 'Rocky' in the past, recently broke down the title fight. He believes either man could walk away victorious, saying:

"[Muhammad] needs to go in there, not be shaken by any flashy technique or any crazy things... Stay on the gas and I think he can get that decision victory or potentially even a stoppage... I think Leon might be able to pull this one out, but I do think Belal could get it done."

Watch Usman breakdown Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad below (36:28):