Belal Muhammad Defeats Gilbert Burns by Decision in UFC 288 ...

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Belal Muhammad got his biggest win yet with a unanimous decision victory over Gilbert Burns in the co-main event of UFC 288 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Muhammad's boxing was the standout element of the opening round. Burns attempted a few takedowns but Muhammad was able to land a left hand that put Burns on skates momentarily.

That superior striking carried through to the second round. He set up his punches nicely with kicks to thebody that kept Burns off balance.

Burns seemed to struggle to keep up with Muhammad's output. Durinho's offense mostly relied on leg kicks that often found a home but weren't enough to slow his opponent. MMA analyst Ariel Helwani noted that Burns said something about his left arm potentially being injured.

The apparent injury certainly seemed to hamper Burns. His usual explosiveness and aggression were replaced with a more passive approach which led to more questions about the when the injury occurred.

Burns health didn't take away from a great performance for Muhammad. His pressure was relentless and he fought an intelligent fight that highlighted his cardio and high-volume attack.

The massive opportunity for Muhammad was an unexpected one.

The original co-main event was a lightweight bout between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush. It likely would have determined the next title challenger at 155 pounds.

But when Oliveira withdrew from the bout with an injury, it left the UFC with a need for a replacement fight. Burns and Muhammad both set up to create an intriguing co-main event.

For Muhammad, the opportunity to set up a title shot against Leon Edwards was too good to pass up.

"If this had been a title fight, I would have said yes," Muhammad told Brett Okamoto of ESPN. "So, knowing that a win over Gilbert gets me a title fight, hearing that from their mouth —If you beat Gilbert, you're next —I had to take that opportunity. I'm guaranteed a title fight if I win this, so it is my title fight."

Now that Muhammad has taken care of business, there's an interesting matchup against Edwards potentially on the horizon.

The two have actually already met in the cage. Muhammad has won eight-consecutive fights, but there's a no-contest between the two wedged in the middle of that.

Edwards got off to a strong start in the first round, but an eye poke in the second round left Muhammad unable to continue. Now, it looks like both fighters might wind up getting some closure with a rematch.