Belal Muhammad Proposes Fight Vs. Colby Covington, Winner Gets Leon Edwards

Belal Muhammad adamantly believes he, NOT Colby Covington, is the fighter most deserving of a title shot vs. Leon Edwards … and the UFC star says he is prepared to show it in The Octagon!

“I would love to punch Colby in the face. I would love to go out there, let’s do it. You think you’re the best in the world? You think you’re the number one contender, come and get it from me. I’m the rightful number one contender, who the world thinks is the number one contender,” 34-year-old Belal advised TMZ Sports.

Of course, Dana White wasted no time tapping 35-year-old Covington, the #2-ranked welterweight, as Edwards’ subsequent opponent throughout his post-UFC 286 media session, saying “[Colby] deserves the fight.”

The revelation was met nearly instantly with outrage from Covington’s critics, who level out he is simply 2-2 over his final 4 fights, together with two losses to Kamaru.

Meanwhile, Muhammad, ranked fourth within the division, hasn’t misplaced since going through Geoff Neal in January 2019. Throwing out a no contest towards a pre-champion Edwards after an inadvertent eye poke, Belal’s using an eight-fight win streak.

During the run, BM beat Demian Maia, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, Vicente Luque, and then-undefeated rising star, Sean Brady, who Muhammad handed his first professional loss.

FYI, Usman is the #1 ranked WW, however clearly is not getting a direct rematch. After Colby comes Khamzat Chimaev, the #3 ranked WW. Then Belal. The rankings then go … Gilbert Burns at 5, and Shavkat Rakhmonov at six (extra on him in a second).

Belal believes the work he is finished within the cage ought to warrant him the chance to struggle for the championship.

“Bro, I don’t think there’s nobody that doesn’t think that I actually deserve, like if they truly look in their hearts, and if they have an IQ, they’ll know that I’m the true number one contender.  I’m the true guy that’s earned it.”

Muhammad continued … “I put the work in. I put the time in. I fought every single person they put in front of me. I fought backward my last one when I didn’t want to, and they forced me to, and I still beat this undefeated kid [Brady], and it was by finish. To get a finish like that, I figured it was 100% gonna happen.”

Then, it got here as no shock after we requested Belal about Shavkat’s spectacular win over Geoff Neal at UFC 285 … and whereas he was very complimentary of the Kazakh fighter, he made it clear he is not seeking to struggle a man beneath him within the rankings.

“Why am I gonna have to fight downward again to fight another hot prospect? It really doesn’t make any sense. Why am I the only guy fighting backward when there’s guys ahead of me that aren’t fighting at all?”