For five minutes, Leon Edwards looked like he’d never been away. He was handling Belal Muhammad with ease in his first fight in 20 months.
And then, as quickly as he was back, it was over. Edwards inadvertently poked Muhammad in the eye and the bout at Apex in Las Vegas was called by referee Herb Dean at 18 seconds of the second round when Muhammad could not continue.
The official verdict was a no decision.
Muhammad was in agony on the canvas and was tearing up in the ring, clearly fearful of what may have happened to him, as the ringside physician attempted to examine his eye.