Belal Muhammad is brimming with confidence ahead of his welterweight title fight with British champion Leon Edwards, which headlines this Saturday's UFC 304 card in Manchester.

The champion, however, sees the challenger's confidence as little more than delusion.

"I think he's deluded," Edwards told B/R ahead of the fight. "I feel like everything he's said, he's never done it his whole career. He did one interview where [he was saying he'll] take me down, let me back up, look at my coaches, take me down, let me back up.

"I was like bro, what the hell is going on? He's just trying to talk himself into the fight. That's all he was trying to do and it won't make a difference.

"This guy's a weirdo. Let him do him."

UFC 304 will mark the second time Edwards and Muhammad have met in the Octagon. Their first encounter occurred in a non-title fight in 2021. Edwards started strong in that fight, but it was ultimately called off early in round two after Muhammad absorbed an inadvertent eye poke and could not continue.

Edwards, who went on to win the welterweight belt with a head-kick KO of Kamaru Usman and has since defended it with decision wins over Usman and Colby Covington, never ruled out a do-over with Muhammad, but didn't expect it to occur with a title on the line.

"[I didn't expect to fight him again] in these circumstances, as far as me being the champion, defending against him, but we fought once, and he's definitely improved since then, so why not run it back?" he said. "The way the fight went, I was winning the first round, I was having my way with him before the incident happened with the eye poke, and now here we are, we get to settle the score."

Since his stunning, title-winning knockout of Usman — which tracks as one of the greatest upsets in MMA history — Edwards has quickly established himself as one of the best fighters in the sport, with a rapidly improving ground game to compliment his world-class striking.

Given Edwards' immense striking skill, most expect Muhammad to attempt to grapple in Saturday's title fight.

After defeating two high-level wrestlers in Usman and Covington, the champion feels well-prepared for that possibility.

"I wouldn't say it's a step-down, but I feel like the three fights [with Usman and Covington] helped me prepare for this fight," he said. "I feel like it's similar stylistically as far as the boxer-wrestler-based styles.

"I feel like Belal hasn't fought no one like me since he fought me, and I've fought people like him since I fought him. That's the biggest difference."

As for the striking aspect, Edwards doesn't see his next challenger as a serious threat.

"I don't think he's got a knockout in his career," he said. "I don't think he's trying to come strike anyway. He's definitely going to try to wrestle. He probably thinks that's the only way to a victory. I don't think he'll try to stand with me but I'm prepared for wherever the fight goes."

If Edwards can defeat Muhammad in Manchester this Saturday, it will open the door to several other dangerous challenges, as the likes of Shavkat Rakhmonov, Ian Garry, and Jack Della Maddalena are all closing in on title shots.

The champion is hoping to defend his belt at the UFC's annual November show at Madison Square Garden next, but isn't picky about who is standing across the Octagon on the night.

If that planned title defense goes his way, however, he might start making demands — specifically, for the opportunity to move up to middleweight in search of a second title.

He believes he matches up well with current champion Dricus Du Plessis, and the other top contenders in the weight class — though he doesn't want to fight upcoming title challenger Israel Adesanya, who he considers a friend.

"Apart from Izzy — I like Izzy, he's one of my friends — I match up perfectly with all of them [at middleweight]," he said. "I've got the height already and I'll build into the weight class with time, and skill for skill, I'll be able to match them all."

It remains to be seen if the UFC will grant Edwards his desired bid at the middleweight title. However, the Brit may soon find himself involved in another champion-versus-champion fight.

Edwards has become one of the prime targets of reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev — widely considered the sport's pound-for-pound king — who has expressed his own desire to climb up a division in search of two-division glory.

It would be a big fight, to be sure, but Edwards isn't sold on it quite yet.

"[Fighting Makhachev excites me] a little bit but also, I think my main aim now is to move up and win a second belt," he said. "I feel like he's still got work to do in his division. He's only defended his belt against one lightweight in his division. This is my third welterweight I'm defending my belt against, and I'd like to defend again in November before I'm allowed to move up to challenge for that middleweight strap. That's where my aim is at but let's see how it plays out."

One way or the other, Edwards has some huge opportunities on the horizon. All of them seem to hinge on his getting by Muhammad this weekend.

Much like the challenger, the champion is confident he'll get the job done in style.

"It's going to be a totally different fight from whatever is happening in his head," he said. "He's clearly deluded.

"I'll get a warm-up in that first round, and I'm just envisioning carrying on that first round to get a finish in the third round."