Israel Adesanya was among the many fans watching UFC 304 from the comfort of his home. While fans at the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester struggled to stay awake for the main event at 5 AM, Adesanya recorded his live reactions to the bout between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad II.

The welterweight duo first met in March 2021, but the fight ended without a definitive result after Muhammad suffered an eye poke. Three years later, Muhammad got his second chance to defeat the man who dethroned Kamaru Usman and defended his title twice before UFC 304.

In an impressive display of wrestling, 36-year-old Muhammad repeatedly lifted Edwards and slammed him onto the mat over five rounds. Despite being a fan of ‘Rocky’, Adesanya was visibly impressed by Muhammad’s performance.

“Oh my God, Belal,” Adesanya exclaimed in his YouTube video reacting to UFC 304. “Even if he loses this fight, I’m still a fan of his. What the hell? Hey, Belal is doing great. He’s fighting in Leon’s home turf, coming for the title, and fighting like this.”

On July 2, 2022, at UFC 276, Alex Pereira knocked Sean Strickland out with a thunderous left hook, witnessed by 19,649 fans at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. This devastating finish put ‘Poatan’ into title contention and forced the American fighter back to square one.

Muhammad’s dominant wrestling skills were on full display. Despite initial celebrations mocking the booing English crowd, Muhammad later shared a video of his car being surrounded by Manchester locals.

Understandably, Edwards is keen on an immediate rematch. However, his longtime rival Muhammad plans to make the former champion wait before scheduling a third fight.

Adesanya, knowing the stakes in a UFC title fight, watched with keen interest. The middleweight champion, who hasn’t fought since his surprising defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 293, was captivated by the intense bout. He noted his concern when Edwards landed on his head.

“Okay, I’ll rematch him in three years,” Muhammad said post-fight. “Let him find his way back. I think it was a dominant performance; no need for a rematch. He didn’t have a long reign to deserve an immediate rematch. I came to his home, in front of his people, enemy territory, and shut him down.”

Adesanya will host Dana White’s next pay-per-view event. Since his last fight, Sean Strickland lost to Dricus du Plessis, who will defend his title against Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth on August 17.

Stay tuned for more updates from the world of MMA and the UFC, as these top fighters continue to make headlines.