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Leon Edwards was unsuccessful in his attempt to defend his welterweight title for the third time as he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 304. 'Rocky' reacted to the loss by apologizing for falling short while expressing his plans to regain the belt.
In a post shared to his Instagram on Monday, the former welterweight champion stated:
"To my fans I’m sorry I couldn’t get the job done this time. I have been through harder times than this in life and I will rise again. Thanks for all the love and support I will get this back in blood. #headshot"
Check out Leon Edwards' Instagram post following his UFC 304 loss to Belal Muhammad below:
The welterweight title bout marked Edwards' first loss since he was defeated via unanimous decision by Kamaru Usman at UFC on Fox 17 back in December 2015. It is unclear what will come next for the former champion as he looks to rebound from the tough performance. Additionally, it remains to be seen what direction the UFC will go for Muhammad's first welterweight title defense.
Belal Muhammad dismisses the idea of Leon Edwards receiving an immediate rematch
Belal Muhammad was able to dethrone Leon Edwards via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 304. 'Remember the Name' revealed that he has no plans to give 'Rocky' an immediate rematch.
Speaking at his post-fight press conference, the newly crowned welterweight champion was asked about the possibility, responding:
"Yeah, I'll give him a rematch in three years. Let him work his way back up. No, I think it was a dominant fight. There is really no need for a rematch and I don't think he was that - he had that long reign of a champion where he's entitled to a rematch. For me, I came to his hometown in front of his people and in enemy territory so it was all like a lay up for him, but I blocked it."
Check out Belal Muhammad's comments on giving Leon Edwards an immediate rematch below:
It is no surprise that Muhammad has no interest in giving Edwards an immediate rematch after he accused 'Rocky' of avoiding him for three years following their UFC Fight Night 187 clash. That bout ended in a no contest after a second-round accidental eye poke rendered 'Remember the Name' unable to continue. UFC CEO Dana White also suggested that an immediate rematch is not on the table.
