Belal Muhammad Makes History at UFC 304

Belal Muhammad's Stats Shine in Welterweight Title Victory

Muhammad: First Palestinian UFC champion.
Unlikely victory as +240 underdog.
Muhammad's 10-match unbeaten streak.

July 30, 2024 179 2 minutes readUFC News

Belal Muhammad Makes History at UFC 304 — Giuseppe CACACE / AFP

Put Belal Muhammad‘s name in the history books. The 36-year-old mixed martial artist from Chicago defeated Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC 304 on Saturday in Manchester, England, to win the welterweight title. He became the first Palestinian UFC champion, adding to the lore of his victory.

Muhammad’s victory was every bit as unlikely as it was memorable. A +240 underdog facing Edwards, the UFC’s top-ranked welterweight fighter, Muhammad recorded several takedowns through five rounds to earn a unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, and 49-46).

He’s the first fighter to beat the 32-year-old Englishman since 2015 and now owns a 10-match unbeaten streak.

Edwards bloodied Muhammad and turned up the heat late on him, but Muhammad used the clock to his favor and outlasted his competitor. He was emotional afterward, kneeling on the mat upon his monumental victory’s announcement.

As of Tuesday, Muhammad is No. 6 in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. Here’s a closer look at Belal Muhammad’s stats.

Setting the Tone

Muhammad did much of his damage early in the fight, scoring a takedown just 20 seconds into the first round. Edwards recovered and issued some body shots, but Muhammad took him down again. Edwards struggled again in the second round, allowing Muhammad to gain more separation on the scorecard.

The Briton answered in the third, drawing Muhammad to the mat. He carried that momentum into the fourth, landing repeated strikes on Muhammad.

However, the former champion could not sustain that to overcome UFC betting odds. That ratcheted up the pressure on Edwards heading into the decisive fifth round, in which he ultimately fell short.

Muhammad jabbed the pro-Edwards crowd afterward, saying it sounded like “all the people booing right now got a lot of tears in their eyes. I see you guys with watery eyes right now.”

The newly crowned champion later dismissed speculation he could face Edwards in a rematch for the welterweight belt. UFC President Dana White, in his post-match press conference, also suggested he’d look in other directions.

Rising the Ranks

According to Belal Muhammad’s stats, Muhammad is now 24-3 with five knockouts and one no contest, his most recent coming against Sean Brady at UFC 280 in Oct. 22, 2022. His last loss was to Geoff Neal via unanimous decision on Jan. 19, 2019, spanning nearly a dozen fights.

Muhammad landed nearly 200 total strikes and 68 significant strikes on Edwards, including 59 to the head. Those figures greatly outweighed the totals delivered by Edwards (89 total, 47 significant), who was also taken down nine times. Based on those totals, it’s no surprise Muhammad came out on top of the 2024 UFC results.

A professional fighter since 2012, Muhammad has also competed for Bellator and Titan FC. He signed with the UFC in 2016 following a TKO victory over Steve Carl to become the welterweight Titan FC champion.

For Belal Muhammad stats, odds analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.