LEON EDWARDS was left absolutely gobsmacked by a stunning claim from Belal Muhammad’s coach.
The pair rematch one another this weekend in the main event of UFC 304 over three-and-a-half years after their first meeting in Las Vegas.
Palestinian-American Muhammad is brimming with confidence ahead of his first title shot, which he’s bagged thanks to a five-fight win streak.
And so is his boxing coach Horacio Gutierrez, who has likened his hands to that of undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
He said: “We have been waiting for this opportunity for a couple of years already.
“There’s a little unfinished business with Leon. His hands are really, really good right now; they’re sharp, they’re fast.
“We’ve got him the Mexican boxing style. If you guys watch Canelo, all those guys, Belal has hands like that right now.
“So Leon better be ready for that.”
MMA fans around the world were left stunned by Guttierrez’s bold claim, as was Edwards himself.
During the UFC 304 media day, the welterweight king said: “His boxing coach came out and said he’s got hands like Canelo.
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“What the hell is going on? As far as the Canelo thing, I think everyone knows.
“It’s like what the f***?”
Edwards and Muhammad’s first meeting ended in a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke from the former in the second round of their Apex clash.
Pride of Birmingham Edwards thought he was destined to finish the fight after rocking Muhammad in the first round with a head kick.
And Muhammad wants ‘Rocky’ to have that confidence ahead of their Manchester melee, telling SunSport: “I’m hoping he comes out with that same mentality.
“I’m hoping that he thinks that it’s gonna be an easy fight.
“Even with that first fight, when you’re going back and you’re watching it, he had one moment. It was a head kick.
“There was nothing else in that first round where you’re looking at like, ‘Oh, this is a 10-8 round.’
“It was still a 10- 9 round on the judges’ scorecard. He outstruck me by like six strikes. And in general, I’m a guy that picks up the pace.
“And that was before, you know, Leon was off for two years before that. So for us, it was, ‘Let’s see what Leon comes out [with].
“‘Let’s see what Leon shows up today, what he’s gonna bring, what new style he brings.’
“So it was to start at a slow pace. So I’m hoping that he thinks that, ‘All right, we’re gonna go the same way.’
“And I’m even telling myself like, ‘I wanna go out here and lose this first round against Leon in this fight just to show him – all right, you won this first round now, watch what I do these next four.'”
