Belal Muhammad left his fingerprints on the history books.
Brushed off at times as an unlikely contender, the VFS Academy linchpin arrived at the Ultimate Fighting Championship summit when he laid claim to the undisputed welterweight title with a five-round unanimous decision over Leon Edwards in the UFC 304 main event on July 27, 2024 at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Scores were 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46.
Muhammad pestered the champion with a persistent jab and completed nine takedowns in the 25-minute encounter. Even so, Edwards had the Mike Valle protégé in significant trouble in the third round and again in the waning moments of the match, as he opened a cut on the bridge of his nose with a well-placed elbow strike.