Leon Edwards had not competed for almost two years. Obviously, this was not the result he had hoped for on his return.
Edwards accidentally threw Belal Muhammad in the right eye in the first seconds of the second round on Saturday in the main event of the UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. Muhammad immediately fell in pain and blood began to flow from his eyes.
The ring doctor entered the Octagon and, shortly after, referee Herb Dean canceled the attack. The official result was considered a negative contest due to the blow of the eye, the fight ending 18 seconds from the second round.
Edwards opted for a combination, starting with a kick and ending with the left hand. But his hand was open on his fist, and his fingers struck Muhammad’s right eye.
“I didn’t want to do it,” Edwards said in his post-fight interview. “I went for the crosshair. He stepped into it. I apologize. I’d rather [have] a loss than that. I have a broken heart. I do not know what to say “.
Edwards had not fought since July 20, 2019, for a period of 19 months. The dismissal was due to the blocking of COVID-19, the canceled events, and he and his opponents gave positive results for coronavirus. When he left the cage on Saturday, the incredible unlucky Edwards said he only had questions for his team.
– What now? Edwards said he asked. “What am I doing now? I came in focused on my next chapter to be world champion. … It’s been a year and a half long. To get back to that, it’s like …”
Edwards looked great in the first round. He fired a large header that opened a cut over Muhammad’s right ear. Edwards also landed a few hard left hands and one or two combinations. Muhammad’s best shot was an elbow out of the cage against the cage.
After the blink of an eye, Muhammad was painful and visibly emotional, clearly wanting to continue, but unable to do so. His right eye was already swollen in the moments after the blow. Entering, ESPN ranked Edwards 4th in the world at welterweight.
UFC President Dana White said this week that if Edwards defeated Muhammad, he would be “100 percent” in a row for a title shot. This was to be his chance to return to divisional relevance after the long dismissal.
UFC Fight Night took place with the COVID-19 protocols in force at UFC Apex, a facility opposite the corporate campus of the promotion.
Edwards (18-3, 1 NC) won eight consecutive fights leading up to Saturday. His only loss in seven years was against current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in 2015. Edwards, a 29-year-old Jamaican wrestler outside Birmingham, England, holds victories over former weightlifting champions Rafael dos Anjos, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Vicente Luque.
“I have recovered from being defeated by Kamaru Usman,” Edwards said. “I fought with everyone. I chose to fight with everyone. I think I deserve a title shot still.”
Muhammad (18-3, 1 NC) was on a winning streak of four fights. The Chicago-born was to win a unanimous decision against Dhiego Lima just 28 days ago and took the fight three weeks after Khamzat Chimaev, Edwards’ initial opponent, withdrew due to health complications. 19 long-term.
Muhammad, 32, has only lost one of the last 10 fights. He later wrote on social media that his vision is returning and that his eye is not permanently damaged. He wants a rematch with Edwards.
“My heart is broken, my first major event ended like this, but, best of the planners, I’m sorry fans and UFC that you deserved a full fight,” Muhammad wrote on Twitter.