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UFC CEO Dana White Snuffs Edwards-Muhammad Trilogy: ‘Let Him Rest’

Dana White gave his instant reaction to the UFC 304 main event.

Zain Bando

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Just after 5 a.m. local time in Manchester, England, Belal Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3, 1 NC UFC) outwrestled Leon Edwards (22-4 MMA, 14-3, 1 NC UFC) to win a unanimous decision to become the new UFC welterweight champion. 

The victory earned Muhammad the distinction of being the first Chicago-born UFC champion and the first-ever Palestinian-American champion in promotional history. With the exception of occasional trips to the Midwest, the UFC has been less concerned about it over the past few years.

Visibly disappointed at the UFC 304 post-fight presser, UFC CEO Dana White said he is not interested in a trilogy fight between Muhammad and Edwards, keeping his sentiments on Muhammad’s performance and Edwards’ future brief.

“Let him rest,” White told reporters.

The loss snapped a 13-fight winning streak for Edwards, dating back to 2015. Edwards was making his third defense of his welterweight title, attempting to become the first man since Georges St.-Pierre to continue a would-be extended welterweight title run. It didn’t happen.

“We’re not thinking immediate rematch,” White said later on in the session.

It remains unclear whether the UFC will push Muhammad into bigger fights, especially given the fact the promotion has not returned to Chicago since June 2019 and made him wait on several occasions for a title shot when names like Colby Covington, even on a losing skid, were picked to fight before Muhammad.

At press time, Muhammad now has 15 UFC wins and adds Edwards to a laundry list of top-flight contenders and former champions he has defeated.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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