Renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani has disclosed that Leon Edwards is gearing up to defend his welterweight title at the highly anticipated UFC 300 event.
Edwards recently defended his 170-pound title against Colby Covington at the UFC 296 main event. Amidst the buzz following his successful title defense, discussions within the MMA community have intensified regarding Edwards’ next challenger.
There has been discussion within the MMA world on Edwards’ future match, since he is anticipated to face Belal Muhammad.
Conor McGregor recently made a surprising revelation that he is slated to face Michael Chandler during International Fight Week on June 29. This announcement effectively dispels the speculations surrounding McGregor headlining UFC 300.
Due to this, a main event draw is still required for the historic UFC 300 event. After McGregor’s announcement, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani talked about Leon Edwards’ purported match at the forthcoming event on April 13.
He wrote on Twitter: “As he mentioned yesterday, the plan is for Leon Edwards to defend his title at UFC 300. As of now, the opponent slated to face him would be Belal Muhammad. Shavkat Rakhmonov definitely was in the mix, too.”
It should be mentioned that Edwards can compete at UFC 300 without being the main event. The welterweight champion may have the star power for the historic occasion, but Belal Muhammad lacks charisma. So, the match may not be the main event.
Despite widespread anticipation for Conor McGregor’s comeback at UFC 300, recent confirmation indicates a shift in plans. Helwani verified on Twitter that McGregor intended for his match to take place on April 13.
He wrote: “International Fight Week is in fact slated for June 29 in Vegas. First time that IFW will be in June. It’s usually that first or second Saturday in July. McGregor wanted to fight at 300. He pushed hard for it. He was ready, I’m told. But after meeting with the brass last week they settled on June 29.”
Conor McGregor’s last match dates back to July 2021, when a severe leg injury ended his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. Conversely, former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler faced Poirier in November 2022. He ended up losing the match via third-round submission.