Dave Lovell claims he didn’t see the best version of Leon Edwards when he fought Beral Muhammad in 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 repeatedly complained that he had to fight to accommodate US payroll viewing hours in Manchester during the night.
His head coach agrees.
“There were a few major factors leading up to the fight. I forgot about minor injuries,” Label said in The Ariel Helwani Show. “Have you heard of sportsmen playing 6am in the UK? You’ve never heard of them before. You’ve definitely never heard them again.
“It was just a freaking moment and Leon had to deal with it. The world knows he’s far better than that, because he loses to the Berals in the fashion he’s lost to him. We know. He knows he’s better than that.
Edwards tries to rebound when he faces Sean Brady (17-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 255 (ESPN+) main event at London’s O2. The loss to Muhammad snapped Edwards’ unbeaten streak of 13 fights.
“Swallowing is a bitter drug, but you don’t get anything from the Beral,” Label said. “He won, he was waiting for the time like Leon did, so let him make the most of it. But it’s a fair play for him, but it’s a bitter medicine to swallow it for the simple fact that Leon lost it.
Brady wasn’t Edwards’ original enemy. Edwards was scheduled to face Jack Della Madalena, but Della Madalena was pulled to challenge Muhammad on May 10th at UFC 315.
Did Lovell think Edwards should have gotten a call instead?
“He just held the title and he lost it, and it’s a bit unusual for him to call to fight back for the title any time soon,” Label admitted. “It’s very rare to hear that happen, but why not?
“I think he knows he can defeat Beral, he knows he can defeat Beral, I think Beral knows he can defeat him. Beral caught Leon on a very low night and he put the winner out.
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