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Belal Muhammad has extended his plea for a rematch with Leon Edwards after their bout at UFC Vegas 21 ended in a no-contest.
Edwards was initially scheduled to fight UFC welterweight sensation Khamzat Chimaev. However, the bout was canceled three times due to coronavirus infections from both fighters and a severe case of lingering symptoms for Chimaev.
The UFC then booked 'Rocky' to fight No. 13 in the rankings, Belal Muhammad, who had just fought Dhiego Lima three weeks before the event's date.
After a favorable opening round for Edwards, the bout was cut short at the beginning of the second round due to a nasty eye poke from the British fighter.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Belal Muhammad, who has already asked for the rematch many times, re-endorsed his wish to face 'Rocky' in the Octagon once more.
"My message to him is: If you're a man, take the rematch. I literally took this fight on three weeks' notice, coming off a fight, coming off of injuries. [I] didn't care about them to give you the respect because I know you needed a fight, and you needed an opponent. I made championship weight to give you this fight. I promoted the fight. I pushed it. So, give me that respect, as a man, as a fighter, as a martial artist. So, let's do this. That wasn't a real win. That wasn't a real fight. We literally had one round. So, if you're a man, if you're a real contender, if you think you're a real champion, you've got to beat everybody. So, you've got to beat me and then earn your title shot."
Belal Muhammad doesn't think Leon Edwards deserves a title shot
The two fighters acted respectfully towards each other prior to the fight. However, the eye poke and Leon Edwards' reluctance to the rematch is changing Belal Muhammad's attitude.
Belal Muhammad feels disrespected by 'Rocky' and started to degrade his opponent, trying to force Edwards to take a second fight.
"Yeah, you know, if it happened in a different way, then I could understand it, but like, I took the fight on a three-week notice, I was coming off of a fight, I cut weight again, made weight for this fight so that you could have an opponent, nobody was accepting your fight. I did it. So, out of respect, I would expect the same respect from you like, 'yo, it was my foul. I fouled you twice.' Two eye-pokes, the referee warned you the first time, and you're just going to sit there, 'oh, wow, yeah. Give me the title fight next.' Do you really think you're going to get a title fight?"
Do you want to see Belal Muhammad and Leon Edwards go at it once more in the Octagon? Sound off in the comments.
