Welterweight contender Belal
Muhammad is rooting for Leon
Edwards to defeat Colby
Covington in their
UFC 296 title fight.
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Edwards (21-3) and Covington (17-3) are slated to compete for the
welterweight title on Dec.16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
While many fans were critical of the American receiving the title
shot, UFC CEO Dana White was adamant that the former interim
champion was worthy of a title shot despite his inactivity in the
division.
Muhammad, who is currently on a 10-fight unbeaten streak, was
hoping to secure a title shot against Edwards before Covington.
However, the promotion had other plans.
Muhammad and Edwards faced each other in the Octagon back in 2021.
The bout was ruled a no-contest after Edwards accidentally poked
Muhammad’s eye 18 seconds into the second frame, rendering “Remember The Name” unfit to continue.
Considering his history with Edwards plus the Englishman’s two
outstanding performances against former champion Kamaru
Usman, Muhamad is rooting for “Rocky” to get the win at UFC
296.
“I want Leon, for my legacy, to be considered one of the best,”
Muhammad told TNT Sports. “To beat him who just beat Usman twice —
who people thought was the best welterweight ever — so, I go out
there and beat him, he has the longest winning streak and I have
the second-longest winning streak, so that’s the one I want. Colby
would be a funner buildup because he’s gonna trash talk and I
always wanted to slap him for the last 10 years, but Leon would
mean more to my career.”