Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad open up on elevator confrontation before UFC 304

Saturday’s main-eventers came face to face in an awkard moment ahead of their clash in Manchester

Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad have opened up on their confrontation in an elevator this week, as their UFC 304 fight edges closer.

On Saturday (27 July), Edwards will defend the welterweight title against Muhammad in the main event at Manchester’s new Co-op Live arena – in a rematch of their 2021 bout, which ended as a No Contest after an accidental eye poke from Edwards.

And on Wednesday (24 July), the UFC posted the latest episode of its usual pre-fight docu-series, Embedded, on YouTube. The episode ended with Edwards entering an elevator and engaging in a tense staredown with his Palestinian-American opponent.

“Remember The Name!” Edwards said, referencing Muhammad’s nickname. “Come on, boys. Slide in, boys,” he added, seemingly speaking to members of his own team.

After the welterweights left the lift, Edwards – who was born in Jamaica and represents Birmingham – told a camera person, “That boy talks s***, that boy talks s***,” while Muhammad offered his own insults.

“I was going up to floor three, [the doors] opened and he was standing right there in front,” Edwards said later, at the UFC 304 media day on Wednesday.

“I think he thought in his head that I wouldn’t come into the lift, so I walked straight into the lift and said, ‘Press number three,’ and that was it.

“It was weird because in the lift he was mad quiet, and then after the lift opened and everyone’s outside, he’s like, ‘Oh p***y, blah, blah, blah. Like, bro, why didn’t you say all this in the lift? I don’t know.”

Muhammad, 36, said: “I just heard [Dave Lovell, Edwards’s coach] screaming something, and I was like, ‘What the heck was that?’

UFC champion Leon Edwards (left) with title challenger Belal Muhammad (centre) (UFC via YouTube)

“I saw it ended up being his coach in front, but Leon and his team didn’t say nothing. His brother [Bellator title contender Fabian Edwards] was trying to give me a dirty look, but he didn’t know I was sizing him up for after the cage, if he ends up hopping in the cage wanting to do something.”

Saturday’s main event represents Edwards’s third title defence. In 2022, the now 32-year-old became the second British UFC champion ever by knocking out Kamaru Usman in stunning fashion.

Edwards, who lost to Usman on points in 2015, was trailing on the scorecards in their second encounter, before finishing Usman with a head kick in the final minute. He then outpointed Usman to retain the belt in March 2023, before beating Colby Covington via decision in December.