Belal Muhammad gets his long-awaited title shot when he clashes with welterweight champion Leon Edwards in the main event for UFC 304 on July 27.
UFC CEO Dana White announced the fight via social media on Thursday.
BREAKING NEWS!!! #UFC304 pic.twitter.com/C5uCJJBUYk
— danawhite (@danawhite) May 16, 2024
Currently on a 10-fight unbeaten streak, Muhammad cemented himself as the No. 1 contender in the division by vanquishing Gilbert Burns in a short-notice fight this past May. That victory served as his fifth consecutive win over ranked opponents including Sean Brady, Vicente Luque, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Demian Maia.
The only blemish on Muhammad’s resume over the past four years came in a no-contest he suffered in a separate short-notice fight against Edwards back in 2021. On that night, Muhammad couldn’t continue following an accidental eye poke from Edwards that brought an abrupt end to the contest just seconds into the second round.
Now, Muhammad seeks to settle some unfinished business in a rematch at UFC 304.
As for Edwards, he looks for the third defense of his welterweight title after defeating Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington in consecutive fights. The 32-year-old champion from Birmingham, England, has a remarkable 13-fight unbeaten streak on his resume as he prepares for his return in April.
In his most recent fight, Edwards effectively blanked Covington for nearly 25 minutes before winning a one-sided unanimous decision.
Additionally, White revealed that Tom Aspinall will defend his newly won interim heavyweight title for the first time against Curtis Blaydes — the lone man to defeat him inside the octagon — in the co-main event.
White also announced that Bobby Green will get his wish and face Paddy Pimblett on the card at the new Co-Op Live arena, along with two other bouts MMA Fighting had previously confirmed — Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze, and Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape.
