Belal Muhammad, 34, of Chicago, was recently criticised by Daniel Cormier for being passed over for a welterweight title fight. Daniel Cormier asserted that Belal Muhammad needs a high-profile victory over the previous champion to establish himself as the next title contender. In a recent interview with Ben Askren, “DC” expressed his opinion that Muhammad should face Kamaru Usman and win a high-profile victory for the UFC in order to receive his long-awaited title shot: “I think him [Kamaru Usman] vs. Belal] might be the one because Belal needs that, like, high-profile win to make people take him seriously.
At UFC 286 in London last Saturday, Leon Edwards decisively defeated Usman in the third match of their trilogy. Dana White confirmed Colby Covington, the event’s unexpected backup fighter, will be the following championship contender during the post-fight news conference.
White also stated that Belal Muhammad’s bout with fast-rising star Shavkat Rakhmonov is being planned by the organisation, despite the No. 4 welterweight’s calls for a matchup with “Chaos” or even shooting for Edwards after their first match in March 2021 ended in a no-contest.
Muhammad probably needs one more victory before making a UFC gold-level offer, but Covington’s opportunity isn’t certain either. Edwards blatantly ignored the possibility of a fight with “Chaos” in favour of a rematch with Jorge Masvidal.
Belal Muhammad comments on Colby Covington’s attempt to win the title.
Belal Muhammad does not like Colby Covington having the opportunity to win the title before him, and he has no intention of remaining silent about it.
While UFC President Dana White predicted that Covington will face Leon Edwards next for the title, many fans feel that Muhammad deserves to be considered since “Chaos” hasn’t competed in over a year and hasn’t responded to calls from the four fighters who are ranked behind him.
Belal Muhammad explained in a current episode of the Anik and Florian Podcast why he ought to go up against “Rocky” next:
At UFC 287, Jorge Masvidal will take on Gilbert Burns. The result of the match will undoubtedly contribute to the title race in the welterweight class, which is already unpredictable. With Edwards’ relationship with “Gamebred,” one victory might be sufficient for the Miami native to receive a title chance. “You must recognise the effort I’ve made and the struggles I’ve faced. I’ve won 12 of my previous 13 fights, and I’m on an eight-fight winning streak. I’m dominating ranked opponents. I’ve defeated the winner more times in rankings… Despite having the fourth-longest winning streak in the division’s history, I am not even considered a title contender. Simply said, it doesn’t make sense.
