With [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] declared No. 1 contender, [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] is eyeing a former champion next.
Muhammad (22-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) wanted Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) on the UFC 286 card in March in London, but was surprised to see Covington weigh in as a backup for the welterweight title fight, then dubbed next in line by Dana White.
Champion Leon Edwards retained his title against [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] at The O2, but Muhammad sees perks in earning a title shot through a fight with former champ Usman (20-3 MMA, 15-2 UFC).
“Kamaru as champion, he beat Colby twice,” Muhammad said in an interview with “Jesse ON FIRE.” “I think that fight makes all the sense in the world. He was a guy that people considered the GOAT from the welterweight division. I go out there (and) starch him, beat him dominantly, there’s no denying me after that.
“That’s what I would hope for, because I don’t think he really took any damage in that Leon fight – nothing but leg kicks and body kicks. And if Leon is making that quick turnaround in July, I don’t see why Usman can’t.”
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Muhammad is unbeaten in his past nine fights. His lone asterisk came in a no contest against Edwards, who inadvertently poked him in the eye and rendered him unable to continue in their March 2021 headliner.
Although White said Covington is the No. 1 contender, Edwards has his eyes on Saturday’s UFC 287 co-main event between Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal. If Masvidal wins, Edwards is keen on settling their beef, which stems from a backstage altercation in London in March 2019 in which “Gambred” attacked him and coined his infamous phrase “Three piece and a soda.”