"Leon by KO," "Belal by 50-45" - Fans react to close-up footage of Leon Edwards vowing to KO Belal Muhammad during tense face-off

Leon Edwards is scheduled to defend his UFC welterweight title against Belal Muhammad in the headlining match of UFC 304 at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England, on July 27, 2024. Ahead of the fight, 'Rocky' and Muhammad traded barbs in a heated onstage face-off at the UFC 304 ceremonial weigh-ins. Fight fans soon chimed in with their reactions to it.

During their intense face-off, Edwards was seen warning that he'd knock Muhammad out. 'Remember the Name' responded by suggesting that they'll see what happens on fight night. The welterweight kingpin hit back at Muhammad by jibing:

"You can't wrestle, bro."

Muhammad retorted by indicating that he'll become the new champion, to which Edwards warned:

"You wish. I'm knocking you the f**k out."

Watch their verbal sparring below:

Combat sports fans reacted to the face-off and are seemingly split over who's likelier to win. Some jabbed at Edwards by noting that he isn't a knockout artist like Alex Pereira or Francis Ngannou. Others criticized Muhammad for copying the champion's "head shot" catchphrase and gesture. A commenter signaled that the fight could go either way.

Meanwhile, one netizen foresees Muhammad winning on the judges' scorecards:

"Belal by 50-45"

Several fans implied that the animosity between Edwards and Muhammad raises their showdown's stakes. Alternatively, an X user insinuated that their fight wouldn't be as exciting and would go the distance. Some fans predicted that Muhammad would pull off the upset, whereas others see Edwards winning. One observer wrote:

"Leon by KO"

Check out the screenshots of a few reactions below:

Screenshots of reactions

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The long-running feud between UFC 304 headliners Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad

The UK's Leon Edwards fought America's Belal Muhammad in the headlining match of UFC Vegas 21 (March 13, 2021). Though Edwards seemed to be the superior striker, Muhammad was holding his own. Unfortunately, an eye poke from Edwards incapacitated Muhammad in round two, and the fight was declared an NC (No Contest).

Both combatants expressed their disappointment over the anticlimactic result and were cordial in the immediate aftermath. Nevertheless, they started feuding in the ensuing days. Edwards' camp has suggested that the eye poke was unintentional and wasn't as bad as Muhammad made it out to be.

On the contrary, Muhammad has refuted Team Edwards' claims and consistently accused 'Rocky' of avoiding a rematch against him.

Speaking to Caroline Pearce for TNT Sports, Leon Edwards agreed with her opinion that Muhammad was a tad agitated by the British fans booing him. The 32-year-old also explained that after his last fight, a unanimous decision victory against Colby Covington in Dec. 2023, he'd like to secure a stoppage win in his upcoming fight. 'Rocky' stated:

"You can tell how much he's reacting to the crowd. That's exactly how he fights. After you touch him, he reacts straight away. So, that's the reason I believe I'm knocking him out this fight."

Check out Leon Edwards' comments below (0:17):