In the immediate aftermath of his title loss Saturday, Leon Edwards said the timing of the fight hindered him.
UFC 304 took place in the middle of the night in Manchester, England, to accommodate the North American pay-per-view audience. Edwards (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) saw his run as welterweight champion come to an end with a unanimous decision loss to Belal Muhammad (22-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC).
Given a little more time to reflect on the setback, which came after wins in three straight title fights, Edwards posted on social media and vowed to return to champion status.
“To my fans I’m sorry I couldn’t get the job done this time,” Edwards posted on Instagram. “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”
Muhammad won the fight with a pair of 48-47 scores and a 49-46. At one point, he slammed Edwards on his head, and he controlled nearly half the 25-minute fight.
Edwards said it was hard to get started in a fight that wrapped up after 6 a.m. local time Sunday.
“I’m not surprised (by Belal’s performance),” Edwards told Daniel Cormier in the cage. “My body just felt tired from Round 1. All week, I’ve been feeling just tired from the timing. But congrats to Belal. He got the job done and we’ll get it back again.”
Edwards also made it clear he doesn’t want to sit out long. Whether or not a rematch is in the offing remains to be seen.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.
