Rewatch Thoughts on Edward’s/Muhammed

[biscuitsbrah]

-Leon showed 0 lateral footwork.

Once he was pressured against the cage it was all but inevitable for him to get taken down. Usman did the same exact thing in the first title fight, (even better actually) until he got kicked in the head.
Usman literally had the fight won and let off the gas, allowed Leon to pressure him instead and got head kicked for it.
Edward’s lack of lateral footwork showed a real obvious lack of preparation and game planning.


-Leon does not posses a check hook.

A key counter strike when circling out would be the check hook. Leon didn’t attempt to use it, because he doesn’t train it or have it in his arsenal.
I’d say in general Leon’s footwork could definitely be improved greatly.


-Belal’s boxing was better than Leon’s.

What allowed Belal to get the takedowns against the cage was his pressure. He stayed in boxing range, pushed Edward’s back and took him down. Not to mention for every single punch Leon threw, Belal threw 3-4 punch combinations. His hands were legitimately faster and better than Leon’s, as bizarre as that is to say. Belal also has that Khabib noggin, which allows him to take punishment and eat it like it’s nothing.


-Edward’s fought very hard each round.

He won the end of round 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Literally reversed position in every single round except round 1. He was controlled by Belal in every one of those rounds except round 3, where Leon held Belal’s back for basically the whole round.
Leon wasn’t tired, off, slow, unmotivated, etc. He got controlled, paced himself, and tried to win. Just didn’t have the skills to do it

 

[benebox]

Funny thing is Leon only lost due to the rds being 5 minutes and getting the reverse too late in 2 of the rds.

 

[thorcorm]

I dont know - all I know is Belal is dead ass boring and can't wait for him to lose the next fight.

 

[Koala]

Winning an end of round is not a thing
It's scored round by round

 

[mangokush]

Belal's Canelo hands along with Khabib's Father's plan was the reason Leon lost

 

[Koya]

Belal's Canelo hands along with Khabib's Father's plan was the reason Leon lost

Give than man some Barboza kicks and he'll be a legend

 

[haj02]

Leon seemed to struggle without space and Belal took it all away from him. It's mostly footwork, urgency and pressure that won this fight.

 

[Myrddin Wild]

Leon turned it on in teh 5th. The way he came out striking, wasn't allowing Belal to push him back. Of coarse he got taken down anyway, but I feel the fight as a whole would've swayed toward Leon if he had that same striking intensity throughout.

 

[Carrotman23]

Good takeaways, especially that bit about Leon not having a proper check hook .

Id also add that clinching while away from the cage wasn't in his game plan, or at least it didn't seem to be . You could say he didn't clinch because of Belal's boxing, (especially the uppercuts he was landing), but I don't buy it. Leon clinches in every fight and has beautiful elbows on the exit.

I think in this fight he thought it wouldn't be a good idea to clinch with Belal because his strategy is based around gaining control time, but I think that was a huge mistake. Belal isn't very good at takedowns away from the fence, Leon should've clinched instead of backing up against the fence and done it often. Again, maybe he couldn't because of the pressure and hands of Belal (ha), but it didn't even seem like he tried.

Lost to the better guy that night. The strategy to try and keep the fight at a distance rather then clinch often when away from the fence was a huge mistake.

 

[Portland8242]

Good takeaways, especially that bit about Leon not having a proper check hook .

Id also add that clinching while away from the cage wasn't in his game plan, or at least it didn't seem to be . You could say he didn't clinch because of Bella's boxing ,(especially the uppercuts he was landing) , but I don't buy it . Leon clinches in every fight fight , has beautiful elbows on the exit too.

I think in this fight he thought it wouldn't be a good idea to clinch with Belal because his strategy is based around gaining control time, but I think that was a huge mistake . Belal isn't very good at takedowns away from the fence, Leon should've clinched instead of back up against the fence and done it often.

Lost to the better guy that night. The strategy to try and keep the fight at a distance rather then clinch often when away from the fence was a huge mistake.

To counter the style Belal was bringing to Leon, you need either a threatening clinch game (like Jones, DC, Shavkat, etc...) paired with formidable defensive grappling, or be very dangerous in the close-mid range boxing game to where you can really crack Belal and back him off (obviously paired with formidable defensive grappling as well).

Leon is simply not threatening enough in that danger zone when the other guy really wants you against the fence. You can't just let yourself get backed up at will and surrender all that real estate that easily.

 

[Carrotman23]

To counter the style Belal was bringing to Leon, you need either a threatening clinch game (like Jones, DC, Shavkat, etc...) paired with formidable defensive grappling, or be very dangerous in the close-mid range boxing game to where you can really crack Belal and back him off (obviously paired with formidable defensive grappling as well).

Leon is simply not threatening enough in that danger zone when the other guy really wants you against the fence. You can't just let yourself get backed up at will and surrender all that real estate that easily.

Exactly! Although I do think Leon could've tried to be threatening enough in the clinch, he's got nice elbow strikes, and was closer to being something of a dynamic finisher way earlier in his career. And he can crack, I've heard fighters say Leon's kicks hit very hard. In any case that kind of clinch dog fighting in the open space was simply his best hope.

Definitely agree though, I've posted similar things about this fight on other threads. The fact is a pressure fighter like Belal is tailor made to beat a slow pace more point based fighter like Leon, who sort of sets a tempo in a fight and expects his opponent to ride along with him, rip that out from under him and he's almost like a puppy in there.

Leon has no danger to offer his opposition in the chaos of a grinding fight.

 

[podsox]

Leon let Belal pressure him the majority of the fight and put him against the fence. Love to know what the actual game plan was

 

[Portland8242]

Exactly! Although I do think Leon could've tried to be threatening enough in the clinch, he's got nice elbow strikes, and was closer to being something of a dynamic finisher way earlier in his career. And he can crack, I've heard fighters say Leon's kicks hit very hard. In any case that kind of clinch dog fighting in the open space was simply his best hope.

But I agree overall, I've posted similar things about this fight on other threads. The fact is a pressure fighter like Belal is tailor made to beat a slow pace more point based fighter like Leon, who sort of sets a tempo in a fight and expects his opponent to ride along with him, rip that out from under him and he's almost like a puppy in there.

Leon has no danger to offer his opposition in the chaos of a grinding fight.

For real Belal's style looked like a more refined and clean style of Colby's, he's got no power but just keeps you "busy" with his shots.. Very similar to how Usman could easily put Colby in danger in the chaos of the grinding fight as you put it, countering Belal's style will probably require the same thing.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

Leon let Belal pressure him the majority of the fight and put him against the fence. Love to know what the actual game plan was

"Don't let him bully you, son"

The bully:

 

[emefer]

Leon seemed to struggle without space and Belal took it all away from him. It's mostly footwork, urgency and pressure that won this fight.

They did use a smaller cage didn’t they?
Maybe why he was struggling with space.
Could have been the big cage and I was just fucked up

 

[j18lee]

-Belal’s boxing was better than Leon’s.

What allowed Belal to get the takedowns against the cage was his pressure. He stayed in boxing range, pushed Edward’s back and took him down. Not to mention for every single punch Leon threw, Belal threw 3-4 punch combinations. His hands were legitimately faster and better than Leon’s, as bizarre as that is to say. Belal also has that Khabib noggin, which allows him to take punishment and eat it like it’s nothing.

Did you see where Edwards was using the cross arm defense, except he stuck his left elbow and arm way out in front, leaving a gaping hole inside his guard for Belal to land huge uppercuts?

I was shocked, such a basic mistake from such a high level striker like Edwards.

 

[Tweak896]

Leon's striking is too range based. He's wants things exactly his way so he can sit on the outside and take pot shots. Not only that he's totally fine with low output and hanging back. His style caught up to him. He needs different backup plans, the only round he won was when he changed his gameplan to backpacking Belal outside his own normal style. Leon is 32 right now and all his opponents since 2020 are 36 or older right now, so he's had a considerable age advantage as well.

 

[contrail]

-Leon showed 0 lateral footwork.

Once he was pressured against the cage it was all but inevitable for him to get taken down. Usman did the same exact thing in the first fight, (even better actually) until he got kicked in the head.
Usman literally had the fight won and let off the gas, allowed Leon to pressure him instead and got head kicked for it.
Edward’s lack of lateral footwork showed a real obvious lack of preparation and game planning.


-Leon does not posses a check hook.

A key counter strike when circling out would be the check hook. Leon didn’t attempt to use it, because he doesn’t train it or have it in his arsenal.
I’d say in general Leon’s footwork could definitely be improved greatly.


-Belal’s boxing was better than Leon’s.

What allowed Belal to get the takedowns against the cage was his pressure. He stayed in boxing range, pushed Edward’s back and took him down. Not to mention for every single punch Leon threw, Belal threw 3-4 punch combinations. His hands were legitimately faster and better than Leon’s, as bizarre as that is to say. Belal also has that Khabib noggin, which allows him to take punishment and eat it like it’s nothing.


-Edward’s fought very hard each round.

He won the end of round 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Literally reversed position in every single round except round 1. He was controlled by Belal in every one of those rounds except round 3, where Leon held Belal’s back for basically the whole round.
Leon wasn’t tired, off, slow, unmotivated, etc. He got controlled, paced himself, and tried to win. Just didn’t have the skills to do it

Belal was getting the piss beaten out of him at the end of that fight, and the few significant strikes Leon did land definitely had an effect - they weren't shrugged off like "nothing". He's decently durable but nowhere near a Khabib level.

 

[StonedLemur]

-Leon showed 0 lateral footwork.

Once he was pressured against the cage it was all but inevitable for him to get taken down. Usman did the same exact thing in the first fight, (even better actually) until he got kicked in the head.
Usman literally had the fight won and let off the gas, allowed Leon to pressure him instead and got head kicked for it.
Edward’s lack of lateral footwork showed a real obvious lack of preparation and game planning.


-Leon does not posses a check hook.

A key counter strike when circling out would be the check hook. Leon didn’t attempt to use it, because he doesn’t train it or have it in his arsenal.
I’d say in general Leon’s footwork could definitely be improved greatly.


-Belal’s boxing was better than Leon’s.

What allowed Belal to get the takedowns against the cage was his pressure. He stayed in boxing range, pushed Edward’s back and took him down. Not to mention for every single punch Leon threw, Belal threw 3-4 punch combinations. His hands were legitimately faster and better than Leon’s, as bizarre as that is to say. Belal also has that Khabib noggin, which allows him to take punishment and eat it like it’s nothing.


-Edward’s fought very hard each round.

He won the end of round 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Literally reversed position in every single round except round 1. He was controlled by Belal in every one of those rounds except round 3, where Leon held Belal’s back for basically the whole round.
Leon wasn’t tired, off, slow, unmotivated, etc. He got controlled, paced himself, and tried to win. Just didn’t have the skills to do it

Usman got kicked in the head in the 2nd fight sir.

 

[bng]