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• Edwards predicts knockout win over Muhammad in UFC 304 main event- “He’s another guy that’s in my way”

  Jamaican-born British UFC Welterweight Champion Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards is predicting a knockout victory over opponent, number 2 ranked Belal Muhammad, in the main event at UFC 304 in Manchester this Saturday.

  Edwards (22-3) enters Saturday’s fight coming off four wins in a row since a no contest against Muhammad in their first fight in March 2021 while Muhammad (23-3) has won five straight since that fight.

  The 32-year-old southpaw was asked by MyProtein in a pre-fight interview how he plans to get the victory over Muhammad this weekend.

  “Knock him out,” was his simple answer.

  “I feel like, for this fight, I want to go out there and get a finish. We’ve fought before. I’ve felt his range and distance. I feel like I’m just the better overall mixed martial artist and I’ll prove that come Saturday night,” Edwards added.

  If his prediction of a knockout comes true, it would be the fourth knockout for Edwards in 18 UFC fights.

  His last win of that method was his famous head kick knockout win over former champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 in August 2022 to win the Welterweight title.

  “I’m number one. I’m the best and that’s all it is. He’s another guy that’s in my way for me to get to where I want to get to and that’s it,” he said.

  As far as his preparation goes, Edwards said a lot of hard work was put in to prepare for this upcoming fight.

  “Camp’s been good. A lot of hard work. The team pushed me hard this camp and I’m feeling good for it,” he said.

  “I’m looking forward to headlining my second homecoming show back in the UK,” he added.

• Leon Edwards brings in sleep specialist ahead of UFC title defense against Belal Muhammad

  Leon "Rocky" Edwards is leaving no stone unturned as he prepares for his upcoming UFC welterweight title defence against Belal Muhammad. The reigning champion has enlisted the help of a sleep specialist to adjust his body clock to the unusual start time of his fight, set for approximately 5am UK time.

  The highly anticipated bout will headline UFC 304 at Manchester’s new Co-op Live Arena on July 27. Despite being held in England, the event’s schedule has been adjusted to cater to American audiences, with the first prelim starting at 11pm UK time and the main card kicking off at 3am. This late-night timeline is a significant departure from the typical 11pm main event start time that British MMA fans are accustomed to.

  In an interview with talkSPORT Drive’s Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent, Edwards shared his initial reaction to the unconventional fight schedule. "At the start, I was bit like 'Oh, why is it that time?'" Edwards admitted. However, he quickly adapted by seeking professional help. "I've brought in a specialist in sleep and they've given me a plan of how it will work."

  The sleep specialist's plan involves gradually shifting Edwards' daily routine to align with the fight's late start time. "I thought I'd have to train at 5am in the morning every day straight away but they said basically 'Six weeks out we'll start switching your body clock and training'," Edwards explained.

  The process includes adjusting his training sessions incrementally. "So my evening session will now become my first session, so at 5pm I'll do my first session and then I'll train again at midnight. And then each week I'll move both sessions forward an hour to adjust to the time so I'll sleep later and train later," he elaborated.

  This strategic approach aims to ensure that Edwards will be at peak performance when he steps into the octagon in the early hours of the morning.

  The fight holds additional significance given the history between Edwards and Muhammad. Their last encounter in March 2021 at UFC Fight Night 187 in Las Vegas ended in a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke from Edwards that rendered Muhammad unable to continue. This rematch offers both fighters a chance to settle the score and for Edwards, an opportunity to solidify his reign as the welterweight champion.

  As the fight approaches, all eyes will be on Edwards to see if his meticulous preparation, including his innovative approach to adjusting his sleep schedule, will give him the edge he needs to defend his title successfully against a formidable opponent in Belal Muhammad.

   

   

   

   

• Brown overcomes broken foot to defeat dos Santos by unanimous decision at UFC 302

  Jamaican Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight secured his third win in a row and seventh win in his last eight fights with a unanimous decision victory over Brazilian veteran Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos at UFC 302 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday.

  The 33-year-old Brown won two out of three rounds on all three of the judges scorecards to move his overall MMA record to 19-5.

  Despite the win, Brown, in the post-fight interview, maintained that he still has work to do to get to where he needs to be to be a top contender.

  “Still not happy. We got work to do. Skills pay the bills,” Brown said.

  Brown then gave love to his Jamaican fans.

  “You know I have to big up Jamaica. I have to big up all my people. We’re here on the biggest stage doing a lot. Big up Spanish Town, Old Harbour, the whole of St. Catherine,” Brown said.

  The night could’ve gone much differently for Brown as he fought the final two rounds of the fight with a broken foot.

  “I broke the foot close to the big toe knuckle at the instep,” he told SportsMax.tv on Tuesday.

  “It happened one minute into the first round,” he added.

  When asked about who he wants to fight next, Brown called out number 10 ranked Welterweight, Geoff Neal.

  “Come on Geoff Neal, it’s my time. I didn’t get the finish tonight but I’ve got to get to the top 15. I’m on a mission right now. It’s my time and I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said.

  “Geoff Neal, you are that guy right now and I need you. Come on let’s do this. You don’t have a fight so let’s go,” he added.

  Neal is 2-3 in his last five fights and has an overall record of 15-6 in MMA.