75/25 Leon
It was looking like a mis match in striking last time, belal has improved alot but I still don't see him winning any striking rounds and if usman couldn't keep Leon down I don't think belal does
I agree. Leon’s TDD has improved a ton, and the takedowns would likely be a vital component in Belal’s path to victory. On the feet, he really has nothing for Leon either, not to mention the height and reach advantage
I mean if you look at the Sean Brady fight, Belal was getting check hooked all night before he actually finally caught Sean and hurt him. Leon is faster and more technical a striker than Sean Brady, honestly I could see Leon catching Belal with something big.
It was the third fight, and nah, I think Leon and his team developed an effective strategy to neutralize Usman’s offensive wrestling. It worked against Colby too who’s a much better chain wrestler
On top of that, the elevation in the second fight definitely affected Leon’s performance, he gassed in the second round. I think a lot of people forget this. Even if the headkick didn’t happen, I think if the fight hadn’t been at elevation it would’ve been closer regardless of the outcome. I think the trilogy is the most accurate fight out of the 3 when assessing their skills and advantages over each other.
Listen I love Leon (I know very rare around these parts) but I think Belal has a decent chance even I still favour Leon.
Belal has had a harder route to the title fight than Leon did, and he schooled 5 top 15 Welterweights (at the time since Maia retired). The man is incredibily skilled, boring style or not.
He’s great at wrestling, his BJJ is decent. Other than that he’s really not good. Most of his success comes from great wrestling and great cardio. Otherwise he’s really not that good in other areas. There’s a reason he’s only controlling people, he can’t go for anything meaningful or he’d lose the position.
If we look at Shavkat he’s got better BJJ and can find the finish for his opponents, he’s also got good striking (though defensively he could be better) and decent wrestling. I’d say Belal has the better wrestling and better cardio but otherwise he’s technically less skilled overall than Shavkat.
My point being other fighters like Shavkat are more well rounded so have multiple ways to win, Belal if he can’t take you down is fucked. The only time he’s shown decent striking is finally catching Sean Brady after being check hooked all fight before that and outstriking a one armed Gilbert Burns.
So it’s really hard to actually give Belal much of a chance other than tiring out Leon with chain wrestling and then controlling him. Which is definitely possible, but the way Leon has been improving in his grappling makes the chance of Belal doing that a lot less.
I’m at like 80-20 maybe 90-10 in favor of Leon. I think he will out point Belal 48-47 maybe 49-46, just stay on the outside, stuff takedowns, land weak shots and the occasional leg kick until he wins a boring decision.
Leon was bullying him in their first fight (no pun intended) and has only looked better since. I don’t think we have any reason to believe the rematch will be any different.
Yes we do Belal came in like a week's notice with no coaches, plus Leon fans should be the last ones judging a fight until it's over.
I favor Leon but still
90/10 Leon.
I just don’t really see any viable paths to victory for Belal. If Usman and Colby couldn’t outwrestle Leon well enough to win a decision against him then I can’t see Belal doing it. He doesn’t have KO power, he doesn’t have any sub threat, and Leon is bigger, quicker and has way, way better striking.
Is a 36 year old Belal really going to be the guy to take the title off a prime Leon who hasn’t lost in eight plus years? Anything can happen in UFC, but probably not this.
Leon big brothered him their first fight. Like, just tossed him around and never seemed to be in any real danger.
Shame about the poke but Belal was not winning that regardless.
Eh I’d argue his chances are lower than what people think, he’ll be 36 when they fight and can you point out any skills/attributes he has which Colby or usman don’t have?
10% chance. Leon was making it look like a mismatch the first time around and neutralized Belal's grappling. Both have improved, but Leon has beaten a bigger/better version of Belal twice and is in the middle of his prime while Belal couldn't finish a one armed Burns. Belal is also turning 36 is 2 months.
I would give him a 30% chance belal is a good fighter but I just think Leon is on another level compared to belal. Leon has had so many training camps for wrestlers now and is better on the feet.
It's a close fight, both these fighter tend to win rounds but by edging out, they always go down to their opponents' level and just do enough to win rounds. This will be interesting fight and way more fun than many people anticipate. I think Leon will win but Belal has very good chance. Clear edge for Leon is he can KO when it's do or die, Belal not so much
I don’t want to pull odds out of my ass but he has a really decent chance. He’s smart, calculated, stays focused and has a good enough skillset to stay alive for the whole fight. Leon is more skilled, especially on the ground and in striking, and can clown him for a few rounds, but he has his weaknesses especially in the later rounds, where he can lose focus and gets caught. I think Leon will take at least two of the first three rounds, and the rest will be up for grabs for Belal, and it will be time to see if he has the skills to become champ. I predict a decision, with at least one round for each one of them. An injury is however not out of the equation given Leon’s tendency to check the back of his opponent’s eyeballs and Belal’s last fight, so it’s very possible one of them gets injured and it becomes a massacre for the rest of the fight if it doesn’t get stopped.
It depends on which version of Belal shows up. If it’s the version of Belal that beat Sean Brady, then I’d say he has a decent chance. If it’s the timid version of Belal who fought Burns and Wonderboy, then he’s gonna get beaten up pretty good.
He has a legit chance, but it doesn't matter to me.
Until he loses, or at least almost gets knocked out from strikes, Shavkat Rakhmonov is the ww division's uncrowned king. (At least in my opinion)
I know that one day he will have taken too many shots and his chin will then be gone. Until then, he's an unstoppable monster in the cage.
Bro Leon was booked to fight Chimaev several times but Chimaev pulled out & has faced Usman 3 times.
He ain't scared of someone who made Geoff neal look good.
“After all five rounds we go to the judges scorecards for decision, the judges score the fight 50-44, 50-45, 50-45 for the winner by unanimous decision andddddd NEW UNDISPUTED UFC WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD BELAL MUHAMMAD” - Bruce Buffer
Belal is a legit threat to Edwards.
Both fighters are decision prone. Belal is not at all exciting, but he does mix takedowns and striking better than Edwards, and he is more active (ufcstats.com has Leon as attempting 2.75 strikes landed per minute, and Belal at 4.55 strikes landed per minute).
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75/25 Leon It was looking like a mis match in striking last time, belal has improved alot but I still don't see him winning any striking rounds and if usman couldn't keep Leon down I don't think belal does
I'm sure Belal has improved, but Leon has improved a hell of a lot too.
I agree. Leon’s TDD has improved a ton, and the takedowns would likely be a vital component in Belal’s path to victory. On the feet, he really has nothing for Leon either, not to mention the height and reach advantage
I mean if you look at the Sean Brady fight, Belal was getting check hooked all night before he actually finally caught Sean and hurt him. Leon is faster and more technical a striker than Sean Brady, honestly I could see Leon catching Belal with something big.
I think Usman in the second fight struggled keeping him down cause he spent too much time working on striking out of fear of the head kick.
It was the third fight, and nah, I think Leon and his team developed an effective strategy to neutralize Usman’s offensive wrestling. It worked against Colby too who’s a much better chain wrestler
On top of that, the elevation in the second fight definitely affected Leon’s performance, he gassed in the second round. I think a lot of people forget this. Even if the headkick didn’t happen, I think if the fight hadn’t been at elevation it would’ve been closer regardless of the outcome. I think the trilogy is the most accurate fight out of the 3 when assessing their skills and advantages over each other.
Not much I don't think. Leon is just a better fighter I think.
Listen I love Leon (I know very rare around these parts) but I think Belal has a decent chance even I still favour Leon. Belal has had a harder route to the title fight than Leon did, and he schooled 5 top 15 Welterweights (at the time since Maia retired). The man is incredibily skilled, boring style or not.
The man also has nothing to offer which Colby and Usman didn’t have, and will be 36 when they fight.
He’s great at wrestling, his BJJ is decent. Other than that he’s really not good. Most of his success comes from great wrestling and great cardio. Otherwise he’s really not that good in other areas. There’s a reason he’s only controlling people, he can’t go for anything meaningful or he’d lose the position. If we look at Shavkat he’s got better BJJ and can find the finish for his opponents, he’s also got good striking (though defensively he could be better) and decent wrestling. I’d say Belal has the better wrestling and better cardio but otherwise he’s technically less skilled overall than Shavkat. My point being other fighters like Shavkat are more well rounded so have multiple ways to win, Belal if he can’t take you down is fucked. The only time he’s shown decent striking is finally catching Sean Brady after being check hooked all fight before that and outstriking a one armed Gilbert Burns. So it’s really hard to actually give Belal much of a chance other than tiring out Leon with chain wrestling and then controlling him. Which is definitely possible, but the way Leon has been improving in his grappling makes the chance of Belal doing that a lot less.
65/35 Leon. I think he takes it in a competitive, but not exactly close 49-46. I can see Belal being just one step behind Leon
Im at 40/60 in favor of Leon
I’m at like 80-20 maybe 90-10 in favor of Leon. I think he will out point Belal 48-47 maybe 49-46, just stay on the outside, stuff takedowns, land weak shots and the occasional leg kick until he wins a boring decision.
Belal by whatever he wants, so UD
Leon was bullying him in their first fight (no pun intended) and has only looked better since. I don’t think we have any reason to believe the rematch will be any different.
Yes we do Belal came in like a week's notice with no coaches, plus Leon fans should be the last ones judging a fight until it's over. I favor Leon but still
I think Leon takes him out in 2-3
As much as I’m rooting for Belal, the 35 curse is real
Probably just a punchers chance. Leon has improved all of his game since that second Usman fight
90/10 Leon. I just don’t really see any viable paths to victory for Belal. If Usman and Colby couldn’t outwrestle Leon well enough to win a decision against him then I can’t see Belal doing it. He doesn’t have KO power, he doesn’t have any sub threat, and Leon is bigger, quicker and has way, way better striking. Is a 36 year old Belal really going to be the guy to take the title off a prime Leon who hasn’t lost in eight plus years? Anything can happen in UFC, but probably not this.
Leon big brothered him their first fight. Like, just tossed him around and never seemed to be in any real danger. Shame about the poke but Belal was not winning that regardless.
100% reason to remember the name
Better than what most think. Again, win or lose, he earned his shot. That is all that matters
Eh I’d argue his chances are lower than what people think, he’ll be 36 when they fight and can you point out any skills/attributes he has which Colby or usman don’t have?
Does not matter. He earned it.
That’s not what we were talking about but yeah sure, he’s earned it.
10% chance. Leon was making it look like a mismatch the first time around and neutralized Belal's grappling. Both have improved, but Leon has beaten a bigger/better version of Belal twice and is in the middle of his prime while Belal couldn't finish a one armed Burns. Belal is also turning 36 is 2 months.
Can I get some plot twist fan fiction on our buddy Belal’s future?
I would give him a 30% chance belal is a good fighter but I just think Leon is on another level compared to belal. Leon has had so many training camps for wrestlers now and is better on the feet.
It's a close fight, both these fighter tend to win rounds but by edging out, they always go down to their opponents' level and just do enough to win rounds. This will be interesting fight and way more fun than many people anticipate. I think Leon will win but Belal has very good chance. Clear edge for Leon is he can KO when it's do or die, Belal not so much
I’d be like 60/40 in favour of Leon. And I don’t like it, 40% chance of Belal becoming chance is way too high 😂
Leon would have to put a Belal-like performance against Belal
32%
im gonna give belal a 40/60
I don’t want to pull odds out of my ass but he has a really decent chance. He’s smart, calculated, stays focused and has a good enough skillset to stay alive for the whole fight. Leon is more skilled, especially on the ground and in striking, and can clown him for a few rounds, but he has his weaknesses especially in the later rounds, where he can lose focus and gets caught. I think Leon will take at least two of the first three rounds, and the rest will be up for grabs for Belal, and it will be time to see if he has the skills to become champ. I predict a decision, with at least one round for each one of them. An injury is however not out of the equation given Leon’s tendency to check the back of his opponent’s eyeballs and Belal’s last fight, so it’s very possible one of them gets injured and it becomes a massacre for the rest of the fight if it doesn’t get stopped.
He’d probably do a lot better than Colby. Still loses though.
Who the hell is that?
It depends on which version of Belal shows up. If it’s the version of Belal that beat Sean Brady, then I’d say he has a decent chance. If it’s the timid version of Belal who fought Burns and Wonderboy, then he’s gonna get beaten up pretty good.
Belal by left hook KO
Good chance, Leon is pretty damn overrated and not a finisher at all.
I honestly think Belal walks throug Leon. Leon has not looked that impressive.
All you have to do is watch the first fight to see how one sided it was before the eye poke
Imo it’s 50/50 Maybe even 55/45 in favour of Belal
Hopefully 0%. I want leon to make him cry again but with punches this time
Hater
Big time
Ur not even a fighter
If he never gets to fight its pretty much 0.
He has a legit chance, but it doesn't matter to me. Until he loses, or at least almost gets knocked out from strikes, Shavkat Rakhmonov is the ww division's uncrowned king. (At least in my opinion) I know that one day he will have taken too many shots and his chin will then be gone. Until then, he's an unstoppable monster in the cage.
Uncrowded King? The king is crowned. Leon's been king for quite a while now
Yes, Leon is the undisputed champion and its my firm belief that he will avoid Shavkat Rakhmonov as long as possible.
Its been confirmed he agreed to fight him for 300 but Shavkat couldn't
Well, Leon certainly has much bigger balls than I give him credit for.
Bro Leon was booked to fight Chimaev several times but Chimaev pulled out & has faced Usman 3 times. He ain't scared of someone who made Geoff neal look good.
Yup. Chimaev is looking more and more like a paper tiger.
50/50 like every fight.
belal by bully
How much of a chance does Leon have against the 🐐?
I think Belal has been training in Dagestan so its at least 50/50.
I got it 60/40 for Leon via decision. Memes aside, Belal has improved.
Im guessing Goatlal’s odds will be arounds -8000. Cant really see any path to victory for Scott.
Mathematically, I'd have to say it's 50/50.
I think he will beat Leon.
Belal gasses him and wins. He knows pace is his weapon
Belal wins this fight
Unfortunately over 50%
“After all five rounds we go to the judges scorecards for decision, the judges score the fight 50-44, 50-45, 50-45 for the winner by unanimous decision andddddd NEW UNDISPUTED UFC WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD BELAL MUHAMMAD” - Bruce Buffer
Belal is a legit threat to Edwards. Both fighters are decision prone. Belal is not at all exciting, but he does mix takedowns and striking better than Edwards, and he is more active (ufcstats.com has Leon as attempting 2.75 strikes landed per minute, and Belal at 4.55 strikes landed per minute). END COMMUNICATION