UFC FiGHT NIGHT PREVIEW: Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad Sun, Mar 14, 02:00 UFC Apex 💪
This Saturday, there is a card that might not have the biggest appeal, but for a fan like me (and some of you casuals 😁), is something that I've been waiting for a while: Watching Leon Edwards fight.
It's been a hard time for the English fighter, after his bout vs khamzat chimaev (who has been removed from UFC ranking this week because of his semi-retirement due to his battle with COVID in late 2020) was cancelled for a second time, all I wanted for "Rocky" is to catch a break and remind people how good he is.
But how good is Leon Edwards by the way?
Well, check his fight against RDA and let me know what you think:
What impresses me the most, is how calm Leon Edwards is, even during the later rounds. And RDA is a terrible matchup, at 155 or at 170.
Rocky has precision and volume, well timed elbows, great on the ground and in transitions, the clinch, no wonder why Jorge Masvidal hates the guy.
Some might find him boring to watch, but I see a high fight IQ, which explains his 8 fights win streak, mostly by unanimous decision, I give you that. Yes, you've heard correctly, 8 fights against top tier fighters like RDA, Gunnar Nelson (excellent on the ground), Vicente Luque, or Cowboy Cerrone (I know some of you will debate him as a true contender).
His most recent loss was against the current champ Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision, but I am confident that Rocky has greatly improved since their fight, and I am convinced that if he is "in the zone", he is unbeatable.
Am I a little bit biased?
Most definitely... I just enjoy having "exciting" UK fighters, Darren Till is another one that I am following closely, it's no secret that the UK market bring eyes on our beloved sport, and even if Leon might not be as exciting and brash as the scouse Darren Till, I still believe that he hasn't reached his ceiling yet, and might be the only valid title contender at welterweight, I would like to see him fighting Stephen "Wonderboy" Thomson if he wins this fight, or even challenge the current champion.
He is fighting the Palestinian star Belal Muhammad (18-3-0) this Saturday, and it might be a true test for Leon Edwards, and plan to steal Leon Edward's title shot and spoil the party.
This guy is dangerous, won eight of his last nine fights, but I still think Leon Edwards got this, and if you look at Belal's losses, they were against opponent with a similar fighting style as Rocky (Geoff Neal, Alan Jouban).
I predict a win by unanimous decision for Leon Edwards, or possibly a KO in the 3rd round.
How does the rest of the card look like?
In the Co-Main event, we have Misha Cirkunov (15-5-0) vs Ryan Spann (18-6-0) in the light heavyweight division, the fight was originally booked for December but Cirkunov had to withdraw from the fight due to an injury.
The Latvian-Canadian hasn't fought for more than a year and a half, and is eager to get back in the octagon his last win against Jimmy Crute via Peruvian necktie was pretty impressive, here is a highlight of his most impressive wins:
He has lost 3 out of his 5 last fights, against straight up killers like Glover Texeira or Volkan Oezdemir (also Johnny Walker). He has pulled some really good submissions by the past, and has lots of power.
Misha will be facing another submission specialist, (especially the guillotine choke, sometimes even standing guillotine choke which is quite rare) with Ryan Spann. His won 8 out of his 9 last fights, not against the best fighters, it's also interesting to note that he lost against Johnny Walker.
Ryan can be a bit reckless at times, but shows a lot of heart, Misha still have an advantage as he faced higher caliber fighters, the vegas odds are Misha Cirkunox -125 and Ryan Spann +105, and I second that I predict a win by submission in round 1.
The last fight that I would like to feature in my preview, is Dan Ige (14-3-0) vs Gavin Tucker (13-1-0).
Before his loss against Calvin Kattar in 2020, Dan was on a 6 fights win streak, with a lots of wins by decision and a controversial split decision against Edson Barboza, I am not excepting a KO win but here is what a confident Ige has to say:
“I’m planning and preparing to beat him anywhere the fight goes. As much as I respect him, I can’t have that respect when we go in there to compete… When I go in there, I have to put on a show. It’s an MMA fight, I have to mix things up and I will show everything and show off my improvements.” Bjpenn.com
If Dan wins this Saturday, don't expect him to stick around, as he is expecting a child in April and will most likely take some time off.
Let's talk about his opponent for a minute:
Tucker was undefeated when he joined the UFC, and still has very impressive record with only one loss against Rick Glenn, that should have been stopped earlier as he was getting beat up to the pulp.
The fight will probably be very technical, both fighters are amazingly well rounded, both Ju-Jitsu black belts, however Ige has faced much better opposition, and has a 2 inches reach advantage that he will certainly use.
It's a hard one to call, but I give the edge to Ige just because of his reach advantage, I have to admit that skillwise, both fighters are almost identical, so an upset could be on the menu. As the odds are in favour of Dan Ige -145, vs Gavin Tucker +125, so if you have some money to spare, and want to win big bucks, I would bet on Tucker. However, if we follow "MMA maths", I think Dan Ige got this, I predict win by split decision.
Here is the rest of the card:
Bantamweight
Jonathan Martinez (13-3-0) vs. Davey Grant (12-4-0)
Flyweight
Manel Kape (15-5-0) vs. Matheus Nicolau (15-3-1)
Middleweight
Eryk Anders (13-5-0) vs Darren Stewart (12-6-0,1NC)
Women Strawweight
Angela Hill (12-9-0) vs. Ashley Yoder (8-6-0)
Featherweight
Charles Jourdain (10-3-11) vs. Marcelo Rojo (16-7-0)
Bantamweight
Rani Yahya (26-10-1,1NC) vs. Ray Rodriguez (16-7-0)
Lightweight
Nasrat Haqparast (12-3-0) vs Rafa Garcia (12-0-0)
Women Flyweight
Cortney Casey (9-8-0) vs. JJ Aldrich (8-4-0)
Women Strawweight
Gloriade Paula (5-2-0) vs. JinhYu Frey (9-6-0)
Welterweight
Matthew Semelsberger (7-2-0) vs. Jason Witt (18-6-0)
Thanks for reading, let me know who you got in the comment section!!
Dude, that was extremely in-depth. Very nicely done. I feel like I have an education in this weekend's fights because of this. Just a few more hours to go!
Thanks buddy! I was surprised you did not complain of the fact that I almost called Cowboy Cerrone a legitimate opponent!
well i got a soft spot for ol' Cowboy.
LOOOL have you watched the event last night?
There were some good fights, but some weirds stuffs with 2 NC. It was a pity for Leon Edwards though that it's called a no contest, it was a freak accident.
Hey you wanna co write a post? I was thinking we should write on Conor selling his Whiskey company for 133 millions pounds and double his net worth 😄
Davey Grant KO was so good, also Spann KO, and Ige of course, wooow!
I recently heard about your (one?) family member having a hard time making it home to you in France @edprivat ... It may not be much, but I sent a little something to your wallet to help. Wouldn't it be nice if 'MORE' people here on hive helped each other as a community in moments of need?
Thanks so much! We had a date today, they're arriving in Spain the 14th of April so this is really happening. Apart from the financial contribution which is really tremendous, I truly believe the good energy of all our friends will make sure it all go well. I'm truly feeling blessed, I have to write a post about it to thank everyone and explain who are Jacky and Charlie.
Yes, write a post about it. Try doing it in @hivepets, it may get more eyes on it there and good rewards to help with the expenses...😎
Best wishes. Ciao
Thanks; I think I finished yesterday night and rereading it today. I tried not to be too dramatic haha.
Cheers @angryman
😎