UFC 304 in Manchester: Belal Muhammad shocks Leon Edwards to ...

The 2021 bout between Edwards and Muhammad led to hostility which simmered during fight week, with the American saying he "hated" Edwards and accusing him of refusing to grant a rematch.

Muhammad, who went into the bout with Edwards unbeaten in 10 fights, has played the role of villain throughout fight week, embracing boos with a cheeky grin and teasing fans about England's Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain.

The heavy boos continued for Muhammad - the loudest of the night - as he made his walkout, dancing and joking with his team.

Edwards, who went into the bout as the current longest-reigning title holder in the UFC, looked focused as he walked to the octagon, shadowboxing and muttering words of encouragement to himself.

Following a roaring introduction which saw the crowd copying announcer Bruce Buffer word for word as he presented Edwards, Muhammad threw cold water on the atmosphere by securing a takedown early in the fight.

Edwards had great success defending the wrestling of Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington in previous title defences, but Muhammad showed he would pose different problems by out-grappling Edwards, throughout the first round.

The American continued to have the upper hand, expertly mixing up his jabs and takedown attempts, as "Rocky" chants from the fans failed to galvanise the Birmingham fighter.

The third round saw the shift in momentum Edwards needed as he secured a takedown of his own, before gaining back control of Muhammad and attempting a rear-naked choke, which was well defended.

But Muhammad would gain the upper hand again in the fourth, pressuring Edwards with jabs against the cage before landing another takedown and controlling the champion on the ground until the final round.

Sensing Edwards needed a spectacular finish, like he did against Usman in 2022 to win the title, the crowd tried to spur the Briton on as the pair locked eyes before the bell rang for the final five minutes.

But like he had for the majority of the fight, Muhammad secured another takedown before controlling the action on the ground, prompting swathes of fans to get up and leave the arena, knowing Edwards was destined for defeat.

"It sounds like all of the people booing have got a lot of tears coming out of their eyes. I've got my family in here. God first, always. This fight is for my family, my people and for Palestine," said Muhammad.

"I got the best team in the world, we study to the core, we get better. We've got the best strikers, these guys are killers. You might not know their names, but we've got a real champion in Chicago now.

"I'm Belal Muhammad. I'm my own man. Now the world sees it, they've got to respect it."

Edwards, who suffered his first defeat since losing to Kamaru Usman in 2015, then suggested he would like to return to action before the end of the year.

"One more this year, November or December I'm ready to go," he said.