Dana White praised Leon Edwards, the current welterweight champion, for his readiness to move up and compete at UFC 300 during the press conference that took place after the fight at UFC 298, which was just held.
‘Rocky’ was prepared to compete in any of the three possible bouts that were offered to him for the historic event, according to White, who added that the British fighter was provided with his options.
On the other hand, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship didn’t mention Belal Muhammad when he was talking about the fight for the welterweight title. MMA writer The Schmo confirmed in a post on social media shortly afterward that ‘Remember the Name’ was not one of the three potential challengers that were presented to Edwards.
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Even though the welterweight champion was supposed to be the main attraction at the historic pay-per-view event, it never materialized. However, let’s have a look at three possible opponents that he could have faced at UFC 300.
According to the rankings, Shavkat Rakhmonov, who is placed third, is without a doubt the most deserving candidate other than Muhammad. The Kazakh mixed martial artist has never lost a fight in mixed martial arts, and all of his victories have come through finishes.
In addition, ‘Nomad’ is now on a winning streak of six consecutive fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and is widely considered to be the most entertaining competitor in the division.
A champion vs champion fight against Islam Makhachev at the welterweight division was yet another potential bout that could have taken place.
Additionally, Edwards has demonstrated his preparedness to compete against the Dagestani in a prior interview. The lightweight champion has expressed his want to fight for the 170-pound strap on many times, and Edwards has also indicated his willingness to do so.
Check out the comments made by Leon Edwards below:
But given that UFC 300 is scheduled to take place on April 13, just a few days after Ramadan, it is quite unlikely that Makhachev would have been a suitable candidate. In a disappointing turn of events, the same obstacle would have rendered Khamzat Chimaev, who had never lost a fight, ineligible as a potential opponent.
There is a possibility that a grudge bout versus Jorge Masvidal, the former champion of the BMF, would have resulted in a higher number of pay-per-view purchases if rankings and activity were removed from the equation and the UFC took a stance that was solely driven by commercial considerations.
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On the night of UFC Fight Night 147, Edwards and Masvidal got into a fight behind the scenes, but they were never able to resolve their disagreement inside the octagon.
Leon Edwards responds to Dana White’s compliments
At the post-fight press conference for UFC 298, Leon Edwards took note of Dana White’s high remarks for him, and the defending champion of the 170-pound division made sure to answer to White’s comments.
Through the use of X, “Rocky” reaffirmed his willingness to face any challenge that was placed in front of him, writing:
“All work is Easy work!!!”
Edwards has a mixed martial arts (MMA) career record of 22-3, and he has not suffered a loss since the year 2016. He has defeated a number of legendary mixed martial arts fighters, like as Rafael dos Anjos, Nate Diaz, and Kamaru Usman, among others.
