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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 13: Referee Herb Dean calls off the fight between Bulal Muhammad (L) and Leon Edwards of Jamaica after Muhammad was unable to continue due to an accidental eye poke in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on March 13, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 13: Referee Herb Dean calls off the fight between Bulal Muhammad (L) and Leon Edwards of Jamaica after Muhammad was unable to continue due to an accidental eye poke in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on March 13, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Leon Edwards saw his UFC return end in calamity. While it wasn’t as bad as getting knocked out, it was still a very upsetting way to end an almost 600-day layoff. Edwards was controlling the fight against Belal Muhammad until he hit Muhammad with a brutal eye poke. That saw the fight end and be ruled a no-contest.
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People are already advocating for a rematch after Muhammad’s eyes heal. However, Edwards is not looking to give ‘Remember The Name’ another fight as he wants to keep his push for a title shot going. Muhammad is ranked at #13 and Edwards is looking for an opponent closer to his #3 spot.
“I only fought him because all the other guys turned me down. The writing was on the wall. I was winning the fight clearly. And I don’t feel I need to fight him again. I need to move forward.”
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Leon Edwards says he doesn’t feel he needs to fight Belal Muhammad again and explains why #UFCVegas21 pic.twitter.com/MLEm6KJO9I
— Helen Yee (@HelenYeeSports) March 14, 2021
Edwards said on an ESPN panel after the show that he believes he should be getting a UFC title shot next. “I feel like I deserve a title shot. That’s 9 fights in a row. I’ve fought everyone they gave me. I’ve stepped up after each fight and all the top guys turned me down.”
Leon Edwards: Should he move past Belal Muhammad?
Leon Edwards was winning the first round. However, that isn’t something that determines the result of the whole fight. Belal Muhammad wasn’t afraid to swing, so he could have connected with a shot that would have put ‘Rocky’ in a bad place. However, the odds of the fight were swinging in Edwards’s favor with every passing second.
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – JULY 19: Leon Edwards of Jamaica poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night weigh-ins at Sheraton Gunter Hotel San Antonio on July 19, 2019 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Though Edwards was comfortably ahead in the fight at the UFC Apex, it would be poor sportsmanship if he were to deny his opponent a rematch.
While Edwards believes everyone should take the first round as proof of his superiority, Muhammad will believe he could have won if the eye poke didn’t happen. If top contenders continue to duck Leon, maybe the UFC will have no option but to book this fight.
