Belal Muhammad thinks Leon Edwards is walking into a gut-check at UFC 322. The former welterweight champion looks to halt a two-fight skid when he faces the rangy Carlos Prates on Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden.
On his YouTube channel, Muhammad didn’t mince words about Edwards’ situation after dropping his belt to Muhammad at UFC 304 and then being tapped by Sean Brady.
“You never want to be in a spot where you’re on two losses in a row because we’re going to see how bad he wants it… You’re not getting an easy one with Prates. Prates is very long, he’s a southpaw, he has great power, and he’s very confident coming off of that spinning elbow.”
Belal’s Keys to Victory
For Leon Edwards
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Reclaim the rhythm: “Get back on your rhythm… this is more your world against a striker.”
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Garry-style blueprint: Lateral movement, range management, kick-heavy offense.
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Smart wrestling entries: “When he overextends, you take him down… with this one, you shoot a bad shot on Prates, he’s not going to make you pay for it.”
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Clinch to mat: Initiate clinch exchanges to set up takedowns and top control.
For Carlos Prates
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Own the center: “Leon is not good going backwards.”
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Length + pressure: Long southpaw jab, steady feints, force retreats.
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Fast start: “When you were thinking too much against Ian, you didn’t throw… start early, start fast.”
The Pick
Despite calling it a stylistically friendlier matchup for Edwards, Muhammad sides with the Brazilian.
“I’m picking Prates… keep him on the fence, keep him going backwards, and I think you can win this fight.
For Edwards, it’s reputation triage and a path back to contention. For Prates, it’s a marquee scalp that could rocket him toward a title eliminator. One pushes forward; the other must prove he still belongs at the
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
