X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

UFC Fight Night Predictions and Betting Picks: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad

Dan Yanofsky's MMA betting picks for UFC Fight Night, Leon Edwards v. Belal Muhammad. Read his winning fighter predictions, analysis and betting tips.

Welcome back, RotoBallers. Thanks for joining me again for another fight breakdown, where I give you my analysis and predictions.

After a long time away from the cage, Leon Edwards is back in action at UFC Fight Night 187. Will ring rust play a factor against the active Belal Muhammad?

By looking at the history and stats of both fighters, we may end up determining who will be able to become one of the top welterweight contenders in the UFC.

Featured Promo: Get any Props Premium Pass for 30% off using code NEW. Win more with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!

 

UFC Fight Night 187: Fighter Backgrounds

It will be over 600 days since Leon Edwards last fought. Ranked third in the UFC's welterweight rankings, Edwards' path to get to this fight has been quite a ride.

Making his MMA debut in 2011, Edwards joined the UFC in 2014. He went 2-2 in his first four fights with the promotion, one of those losses coming against current UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman. Following that loss, Edwards would start an impressive eight-fight win streak. Some of those wins came from the likes of Vicente Luque, Donald Cerrone, and Gunnar Nelson. His last fight was a unanimous decision win over Rafael dos Anjos in 2019.

Signing a multi-fight contract, Edwards was meant to face former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley in March 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, that fight was scrapped. After months of inactivity and questions over who he would be facing, the UFC finally picked rising star Khamzat Chimaev to face Edwards. Both fighters tested positive for COVID, which delayed their initial bout in December 2020. The rescheduled fight in January was nixed due to Chimaev dealing with lasting issues from COVID and would be the same reason their scheduled March bout was nixed.

Fighting out of Chicago, Muhammad made his MMA debut in 2012. Competing for Hoosier Fight Club, Bellator, and Titan FC, Muhammad would win the Titan FC Welterweight Title in 2016. He would end up joining the UFC that year. Going 1-2 in his first three contests, Muhammad would end up on a four-fight win streak against fighters like Tim Means and Randy Brown.

After losing to Geoff Neal to start 2019, Muhammad has gone on another four-fight win streak. He beat Curtis Millender and Takashi Sato and returned to action this past June to beat Lyman Good. Muhammad impressed against Dhiego Lima at UFC 258 this past February, even after testing positive for COVID-19 before the bout.

 

UFC Fight Night 187: Fight Outlook and Prediction

When it comes to who everyone believes has the advantage, the DraftKings Sportsbook at this time has Edwards as a -265 favorite and Muhammad as a +215 underdog. Seeing how time away could be a factor in this fight, are the odds truly in Edwards’ favor?

On paper, Muhammad has a significant advantage when it comes to striking. He comes into this fight with about a 4.86 Significant Strikes Landed per Minute mark, compared to about 2.53 for Edwards. Both are about even in Significant Striking Accuracy, with Edwards leading ever so slightly, 47% to 43%. Muhammad is known to take damage, with 4.03 significant strikes absorbed per minute, compared to 2.05 (tied third in the welterweight division) for Edwards.

In his last four fights, Muhammad has landed 426 strikes, 307 of them significant. Edwards has landed 484 shots in his last four, 249 of them significant.

Something to keep an eye on is the fight within the clinch. Both are very tactical fighters. Edwards has a grappling ability that can suck his opponents in with no escape. Any defensive lapse will be caught and used against an opponent. Edwards has landed 17 takedowns during his eight-fight win streak and is very effective with head shots, landing 26 in his last three fights.

Muhammad, however, is also an efficient fighter in the clinch. He has landed eight takedowns during his four-fight win streak, and 17 head strikes in the clinch. As seen in his fight with Lima, Muhammad can press forward and suffocate his opponent. Landing volume shots, Muhammad looks to tire out his opponent.

If the fight went to the ground, it would be a battle of who wants it more. Edwards has been known to land heavy head strikes on the floor, but given the opportunity, Muhammad can answer right back.

Will the fact that Louis Taylor, Edwards’ coach since he started fighting, will not be in his corner due to a positive COVID test, be a factor? It is hard to say, but Muhammad will look to keep his composure and continue to focus. The idea of rust for Edwards is also a factor.

Muhammad is quickly climbing up the ranks in the welterweight division. As fresh as one can be for this fight, it is not hard to think he can tire out Edwards, who hasn’t fought in a long time. Time waits for no man, and we could see that come into play this weekend in Las Vegas.

Prediction: Muhammad via unanimous decision

More MMA Analysis

More DFS Analysis & Lineup Picks




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Charlie Morton30 mins ago

Strikes Out 10 In Loss
J.T. Realmuto39 mins ago

Collects Three Hits
Nikola Jokić46 mins ago

Nikola Jokic Expected To Play On Friday
Hunter Brown53 mins ago

Registers Eight Strikeouts
Jonathan Kuminga57 mins ago

Back On Thursday Night
Christian Walker59 mins ago

Mashes Homer In Win
Freddie Freeman1 hour ago

Heading To Injured List
Miles Boykin2 hours ago

Heading To Chicago
Jalen Wilson3 hours ago

Sidelined On Thursday
Baker Mayfield3 hours ago

Tampa Bay Restructures Baker Mayfield's Deal
Case Keenum3 hours ago

Chicago Signs Case Keenum To One-Year Deal
Kyshawn George3 hours ago

Unavailable For Thursday
Richaun Holmes3 hours ago

Out Versus Magic
Khris Middleton4 hours ago

Out Again Thursday Versus Magic
D'Angelo Russell4 hours ago

Good To Go On Thursday
Noah Clowney4 hours ago

Done For Rest Of The Season
Jordan Poole4 hours ago

Unavailable For Thursday
Scottie Barnes4 hours ago

Available On Thursday
Cedric Mullins4 hours ago

Goes Deep In Loss To Boston
Jonathan Drouin4 hours ago

Martin Necas, Jonathan Drouin Unavailable Thursday
Tyrese Maxey4 hours ago

Expected To Miss Rest Of Season
Alexandar Georgiev4 hours ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Henry Thrun5 hours ago

Returns From Nine-Game Absence Thursday
Taijuan Walker5 hours ago

Blanks Rockies For Six Innings To Earn First Win
Tanner Houck5 hours ago

Picks Up No-Decision In Four-Inning Outing
Olli Määttä5 hours ago

Olli Maatta Returns To Utah Lineup Thursday
Alex Bregman5 hours ago

Fills The Box Score In Win Over Orioles
Dylan Guenther5 hours ago

Ready To Go Thursday
Jorge Polanco5 hours ago

Reinstated From Paternity List
Anthony Duclair5 hours ago

Takes Leave Of Absence
Carlos Rodriguez5 hours ago

Joining Brewers On Thursday
Alex Pietrangelo5 hours ago

On Track To Return Thursday
Brady Tkachuk5 hours ago

Out On Thursday
DJ LeMahieu5 hours ago

"About A Week Away" From Taking Live At-Bats
Devin Williams5 hours ago

To Return From Paternity List On Friday
Jake Fraley5 hours ago

Gavin Lux, Jake Fraley Sitting Against A Lefty
Trey McBride6 hours ago

Cardinals Making Trey McBride The Highest-Paid Tight End In NFL History
Geno Smith6 hours ago

Raiders, Geno Smith Agree To Two-Year Extension
Jeferson Quero7 hours ago

Set Back With Hamstring Injury
Eguy Rosario7 hours ago

Clears Waivers, Outrighted To Triple-A
Xavier Isaac7 hours ago

Rays Hopeful Xavier Isaac Will Return In A Couple Of Weeks
Angel Genao7 hours ago

Won't Return Until June
Austin Wells7 hours ago

Being Rested On Thursday
Paul Goldschmidt7 hours ago

Sitting In Finale Against Arizona
Masataka Yoshida7 hours ago

Not Ready For Rehab Assignment
8 hours ago

Tyler Shough Could Be Day 2 Pick In NFL Draft
Dallas Cowboys8 hours ago

Shemar Stewart Meeting With Cowboys Staff
New York Giants8 hours ago

Travis Hunter The Likely Pick For Giants?
Dallas Cowboys8 hours ago

DeMarvion Overshown Aiming For Comeback Player Of The Year Award
Washington Commanders9 hours ago

Commanders Sign T.J. Maguranyanga
Kansas City Chiefs9 hours ago

Mike Edwards Reunites With Chiefs
New Orleans Saints9 hours ago

Saints Could Take A Quarterback Early In The Draft
Joe Milton III12 hours ago

Traded To Cowboys
Anfernee Simons13 hours ago

Could Be Absent Again Thursday
Scoot Henderson13 hours ago

Misses Third Consecutive Game Thursday
Scottie Barnes13 hours ago

Iffy For Thursday
Immanuel Quickley13 hours ago

Takes Thursday Off
Jakob Poeltl13 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Damian Lillard13 hours ago

May Return To Action Sooner Than Expected
Giannis Antetokounmpo14 hours ago

Likely To Suit Up Thursday
LeBron James14 hours ago

Probable Thursday
Jared McCann15 hours ago

Tallies Three Helpers On Wednesday
Jackson Blake15 hours ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Artemi Panarin15 hours ago

Tallies Three Points In Overtime Victory
Andrei Svechnikov16 hours ago

Exits Early On Wednesday
Jake McCabe16 hours ago

Suffers Injury On Wednesday
Jonathan Drouin16 hours ago

Exits Wednesday's Contest
Los Angeles Chargers24 hours ago

Chargers Sign Tight End Jordan Petaia
1 day ago

Matthew Golden Making Pre-Draft Visit To Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals1 day ago

Trey Hendrickson Not Looking For Short-Term Deal
Tutu Atwell1 day ago

Rams Plan To Give Tutu Atwell A Bigger Role In 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers1 day ago

Bucs Restructure Antoine Winfield's Deal To Free Up Cap Space
Jrue Holiday1 day ago

Won't Play Against Miami
New York Jets1 day ago

Xavier Newman-Johnson Re-Signs With New York
Al Horford1 day ago

Sidelined Versus Heat
Evgeni Malkin1 day ago

Joins Penguins For Road Trip
Filip Chytil1 day ago

Could Miss Rest Of Season
Declan Chisholm1 day ago

Back In Action Against Rangers
Samuel Girard1 day ago

Exits Avalanche Lineup Wednesday
Joel Kiviranta1 day ago

Returning Against Blackhawks
Eeli Tolvanen1 day ago

Misses First Game Of The Season
Jaden Schwartz1 day ago

Unavailable Against Canucks
1 day ago

Kyle McCord Rising Up Draft Boards?
1 day ago

Ashton Jeanty To Raiders Continues To Gain Steam
Cameron Young2 days ago

A Player To Avoid At Valero Texas Open
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

In Search Of Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valero Texas Open
Tom Hoge2 days ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick2 days ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners2 days ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay2 days ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Gary Woodland2 days ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia2 days ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti2 days ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp2 days ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim2 days ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood2 days ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau2 days ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole2 days ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Sam Stevens3 days ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA3 days ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy3 days ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman3 days ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR3 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland3 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno3 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg3 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall3 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara3 days ago

Gets Submitted
Édgar Cháirez3 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.3 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira3 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez3 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas3 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez3 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron3 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe4 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones4 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry5 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano5 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece5 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF