Welterweight contender Belal Muhammad is rooting for Leon Edwards to win against Colby Covington in the upcoming UFC 296 title fight. Edwards and Covington are scheduled to compete for the welterweight title on December 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While some fans critiqued the decision to let the American claim the title shot, UFC CEO Dana White insisted Covington, a former interim champion, deserves this opportunity despite his inactivity in the division.
On the other hand, rumor has it that Muhammad, who is on an impressive 10-fight unbeaten streak, expressed interest in obtaining a title shot against Edwards before Covington. Nevertheless, the organization had different plans that possibly didn’t align with Muhammad’s intentions. It is interesting to note that Muhammad and Edwards already had a match in 2021 which unfortunately ended as a no-contest when Edwards mistakenly poked Muhammad’s eye just 18 seconds into the second frame, forcing “Remember The Name” to withdraw.
Given his past encounters with Edwards and the latter’s two extraordinary performances against ex-champion Kamaru Usman, Muhammad is cheering for “Rocky” to come out victorious at UFC 296. He stated to TNT Sports, “I want Leon, for my legacy, to be considered one of the best. 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.” This statement suggests that Muhammad not just thinks highly of Edwards but also feels that defeating him could add significant value to his own career legacy.