Leon Edwards did not participate in almost two years. This, of course, was not the result he had hoped for in his return.
Edwards accidentally stabbed Belal Muhammad with the right eye in the first seconds of the second round on Saturday during the UFC Fight Night main event in Las Vegas. Mohammed immediately falls from pain and blood begins to drip from the eye.
The doctor at the ring entered the Octagon, and shortly thereafter, the referee, Herb Dean, called off the fight. The official result is definitely due to the eye gap, and the match ends at 18 seconds of the second round.
Edwards started for a combination, starting with a kick and ending with a left hand. But his hand was open on the fist and his fingers hit Muhammad’s right eye.
“I did not mean to do that,” Edwards said in his post-fight interview. “I kicked for the crosshead kick. He stepped in. I really apologize. I would rather [have] a loss if it. I’m sad. I do not know what to say. ‘
Edwards has not fought since July 20, 2019, a span of 19 months. The dismissal was due to COVID-19 exclusions, canceled events, and he and his opponents tested positive for the coronavirus. When he left the cage on Saturday, the incredibly unhappy Edwards said he only had questions for his team.
“What now?” Edwards said he asked them. “What do I do now? I focused on my next chapter to become the world champion. … It’s been a long year and a half. Coming back to that, it’s like …”
Edwards looked great in the first round. He lands a large head kick that opens a cut over Muhammad’s right ear. Edwards also landed some hard left hands and one-two combinations. Muhammad’s best strike was an elbow from the cage against the cage.
After the eye pecked, Muhammad was in pain and visibly emotional, and clearly wanted to continue but was unable to do so. His right eye swelled in the moments after the poke. When ESPN came in, Edwards had the no. 4 ranked in the world as welterweight.
Uana president Dana White said this week that if Edwards beat Muhammad, he would be “100 percent” for a title. It was supposed to be his chance to make him fall into divisional interest again after the long dismissal.
UFC Fight Night took place with COVID-19 protocols in effect at the UFC Apex, a facility across the street from the promotion’s business campus.
Edwards (18-3, 1 NC) won eight live fights ahead of Saturday. His only loss in the last seven years was against current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in 2015. Edwards, a 29-year-old Jamaican native fighting from Birmingham, England, holds victories over former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Vicente Luque.
“I defeated my return work from Kamaru Usman,” Edwards said. “I fought with everyone. I chose to fight with everyone. I believe I deserve the next title.”
Muhammad (18-3, 1 NC) was in a winning streak with four fights. The Chicago native achieved a unanimous decisive victory over Dhiego Lima just 28 days ago and took note of it three weeks after Khamzat Chimaev, Edwards’ original opponent, withdrew due to long-term COVID-19 health complications.
Muhammad, 32, has lost just one in his last ten fights. He later wrote on social media that his vision is returning and that his eye has no permanent damage. He wants a rematch with Edwards.
“My heart is broken my first main event ended like this, but best of all the planners, I’m sorry for the fans and the UFC that you deserved a full fight,” Muhammad tweeted.