Leon Edwards' coach laments early morning title loss to Belal Muhammad: 'It's a bitter pill to swallow'
Dave Lovell insists we didn't see nearly the best version of Leon Edwards when he fought Belal Muhammad at UFC 304.
Edwards (22-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC) lost his welterweight title to Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) by unanimous decision last July. Edwards reiterated his discontent with having to fight in the middle of the night in Manchester to cater to the U.S. pay-per-view time, which he says heavily impacted his performance.
His head coach agrees.
"There were some major factors leading up to the fight, forget the minor injury apart," Lovell said on "The Ariel Helwani Show.". “In England, when have you ever heard of a sportsman performing 6 o'clock in the morning? It's never been heard of before, and no doubt you'll never hear of it again.
"It was just a freaky moment in time, and Leon had to deal with it. To lose to Belal in the fashion he lost to him, the world knows he's a lot better than that. We know. Most and foremost, he knows he's better than that. Yeah, it was a major setback, but we're on the road back to gold. What more can I say to that?"
Edwards will look to rebound when he takes on Sean Brady (17-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in Saturday's UFC Fight Night 255 (ESPN+) main event at The O2 in London. The loss to Muhammad snapped Edwards' 13-fight unbeaten streak.
"It's a bitter pill to swallow, but I take nothing from Belal," Lovell said. "He won, he waited his time like Leon did, so let him make the most of it. Fair play to him, but it's a bitter pill for me to swallow for the simple fact of how Leon lost it, the lackluster effort for whatever reason because we all know that was, what, 30, 35, 40 percent of Leon Edwards that night?"
Brady was not Edwards' original opponent. Edwards was slated to face Jack Della Maddalena, but Della Maddalena was pulled to challenge Muhammad for the belt May 10 at UFC 315.
Did Lovell think Edwards should have gotten the call instead?
"It's like, he's just held the title, he's lost it, and maybe it's going to be a bit unusual for him to get the call to fight back for the title straight away," Lovell admitted. "That's very rare you hear that happen. But why not?
"Because I know he can beat Belal, he knows he can beat Belal, I think Belal knows he can beat him. Belal caught Leon on a very, very low night, and he came out the winner, and that's the way it is. There's nothing you can say or do about that."
Related
Leon Edwards breaks down Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315
Leon Edwards claims he offered to step in for Belal Muhammad rematch at UFC 315
'He's a joke': Belal Muhammad laughs off Leon Edwards' coach's UFC 304 pre-fight injury claims
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 255.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Leon Edwards' coach laments early morning title loss to Belal Muhammad: 'It's a bitter pill to swallow'
Topics
-
Leon Edwards breaks down Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315
Leon Edwards sees Jack Della Maddalena upsetting Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) defends his welterweight title against Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the May 10 ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
The Ariel Helwani Show | Leon Edwards, Jeremy Stephens, Bo Nickal, Gordon Ryan, Dave Lovell and more
Join us live on Uncrowned as Ariel Helwani sets the table for the week to come in combat sports with a stacked lineup featuring Leon Edwards and more.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
UFC Fight Night 255: Make your predictions for Leon Edwards vs. Sean Brady in London
We want your predictions for Saturday's UFC Fight Night 255. Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we'll use ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Machado Garry 'livid' over snub for UFC title fight
Ireland's Ian Machado Garry is still "livid" the UFC has given Jack Della Maddalena a fight against Belal Muhammad instead of him.Yahoo Sports - 21h -
Alex Pereira's coaches think he beat Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, promise 'Poatan 2.0' in rematch
Alex Pereira's coaches disagree with the UFC 313 decision. Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost his light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in ...Yahoo Sports - 6d -
Brendan Schaub: 'The UFC's in some trouble' after Alex Pereira lost light heavyweight title
Brendan Schaub thinks Alex Pereira losing his title is a problem for the UFC. Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost his light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) by unanimous ...Yahoo Sports - 5d -
Firas Zahabi: Alex Pereira went through analysis paralysis in UFC 313 title loss
Firas Zahabi thinks Magomed Ankalaev had Alex Pereira overthinking throughout the fight at UFC 313. Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost his light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, ...Yahoo Sports - 5d -
Diego Lopes responds to criticism of cardio ahead of UFC 314 title fight vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Some say cardio is king in MMA, and that's why some fans are siding with Alexander Volkanovski to beat Diego Lopes in their upcoming UFC title fight. Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) and Lopes ...Yahoo Sports - 3d -
2025 UFC event schedule: Leon Edwards vs. Sean Brady, Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes on tap
Check out a complete list of UFC pay-per-view and Fight Night events scheduled for 2025CBS Sports - 1d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
How would proposed NFL rule changes impact the Commanders?
How would proposed rule changes impact the Washington Commanders?Yahoo Sports - 15m -
Is Bulgaria vs Republic of Ireland on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Nations League play-off
Everything you need to know for Thursday’s clash in PlovdivYahoo Sports - 16m -
Here are the 2025 Big 12 all-conference boys and girls basketball teams
The Big 12 Conference named its top Illinois high school athletes for 2024-25 in boys and girls basketball. Here's the full list.Yahoo Sports - 16m -
For Ryan O'Shea, New Prairie football job is about giving back to his grandfather
Ryan O'Shea taking the head coaching job with New Prairie football is a full circle moment for his family.Yahoo Sports - 16m -
Is Netherlands v Spain on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Nations League quarter-final
Everything you need to know ahead of the last-eight encounterYahoo Sports - 1h
More in Sports
-
How would proposed NFL rule changes impact the Commanders?
How would proposed rule changes impact the Washington Commanders?Yahoo Sports - 15m -
Is Bulgaria vs Republic of Ireland on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Nations League play-off
Everything you need to know for Thursday’s clash in PlovdivYahoo Sports - 16m -
Here are the 2025 Big 12 all-conference boys and girls basketball teams
The Big 12 Conference named its top Illinois high school athletes for 2024-25 in boys and girls basketball. Here's the full list.Yahoo Sports - 16m -
For Ryan O'Shea, New Prairie football job is about giving back to his grandfather
Ryan O'Shea taking the head coaching job with New Prairie football is a full circle moment for his family.Yahoo Sports - 16m -
Is Italy v Germany on TV? Kick -off time, channel and how to watch Nations League quarter-final
Italy and Germany meet for the first time since their seven-goal thriller in 2022Yahoo Sports - 17m