Leon Edwards’ recent loss of the UFC welterweight title is a fight his team would rather forget.
His third title defense in July had unusual circumstances. Fighting in England at UFC 304, a pay-per-view scheduled for North American audiences, meant Edwards and his opponent, Belal Muhammad from Chicago, fought in the early morning hours instead of the evening.
Belal Muhammad won by decision and took Edwards’ title, much to the disappointment of Edwards’ coach, Dave Lovell. However, Lovell’s concern isn’t with Muhammad’s victory, but with the early start time, which he believes resulted in Edwards performing far below his capabilities.
“It’s tough to accept, but Belal earned his win,” Lovell stated on The Ariel Helwani Show. “He earned his opportunity just like Leon, so credit to him. But it’s hard for me to accept because of how Leon lost – a weak performance for some reason. We all know that wasn’t the real Leon Edwards. He was only performing at maybe 30, 35, 40 percent that night.”
Before this defeat, Edwards was undefeated in 13 fights, with a no-contest against Muhammad in March 2021 being the only interruption. In their first fight, Muhammad suffered an accidental eye poke, making his victory three years later a form of revenge.
Lovell also mentioned a persistent back injury limiting Edwards, but he is not focused on the loss. Edwards is scheduled to fight Sean Brady at UFC London this Saturday, and Lovell is eager to move forward from UFC 304.
“It was a very disappointing week for us,” Lovell said. “It was Leon’s first loss in a long time, and the manner of the defeat was upsetting. But we are in the fight business, and these things happen.”
“There were significant factors leading up to the fight, beyond just a minor injury,” Lovell added. “In England, have you ever heard of an athlete competing at 6:00 AM? It’s unprecedented and likely won’t happen again. It was a strange situation, and Leon had to deal with it. Losing to Belal in that manner, everyone knows Leon is much better than that. We know it, and most importantly, he knows it.”
“Yes, it was a major setback, but we are on the path to reclaiming the title, what else can I say?”
Two months after UFC London, Muhammad will defend his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on May 10. Della Maddalena was initially set to fight Edwards this Saturday but was rescheduled to face Muhammad due to No. 1 contender Shavkat Rakhmonov being injured.
Was Lovell expecting Edwards to get a title fight opportunity instead?
“It’s unusual for someone to get an immediate title shot after losing the title,” Lovell said. “It’s very rare.”
“But why not? I know Leon can beat Belal, he knows it, and I think Belal knows it too. Belal caught Leon on a very off night and won, that’s just how it is. Nothing can change that.”
For now, Edwards’ team is fully focused on Sean Brady, a fighter with a familiar style, even if they are somewhat tired of facing wrestlers.
“We prepared for Jack Della Maddalena, but four weeks out, it changed to another wrestler,” Lovell said. “It’s not that Leon is dismissive, but we know Brady is a wrestler. We know how wrestlers operate. Leon has faced the best, so it’s about focusing and getting the job done.”
“We have a fight plan, and if it goes as we’ve prepared, I expect a finish, either early or late in the fight.”
Leon Edwards faces a tough challenge against Sean Brady this Saturday as he begins his journey back to the title. Regardless of the outcome, there are no guarantees for Edwards, but we will see if his coach is correct about his fighter simply having a bad night last summer.
