The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is home to some amazing talent, and yet, some of these fighters have long unbeaten streaks but have not received a title shot. One such fighter is the welterweight contender, Belal Muhammad, who has an impressive record of 23-3 with 1 NC. His manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently revealed to MMA Fighting that Muhammad is prepared to wait for his shot at the title. He has been steadily climbing the 170-pound ladder and is undefeated in his last ten bouts. Despite his nine wins and a no contest against current champ Leon Edwards, and his ranking as No. 2 welterweight, Muhammad hasn’t received a chance at the title.
Even though many people believe Muhammad, also known as “Remember the Name”, deserves the next shot at the belt, the UFC management has repeatedly overlooked him. The latest instances was when the promotion favored Colby Covington for the title shot. Covington is scheduled to take on Edwards at UFC 296 on December 16. In contrast, Covington hasn’t competed since he won a match against Jorge Masvidal in March 2022, while Muhammad has fought three times during the same period and achieved a dominant decision win against Gilbert Burns.
According to Abdelaziz, Muhammad is determined that his next fight will be for the title, most likely against the winner of the Edwards-Covington fight. Abdelaziz seems to have complete trust in Dana White, president of UFC, as he believes Muhammad will get a title shot during his next bout. While he is optimistic about Muhammad’s chance in December, he is also prepared to wait if the situation requires.
Abdelaziz stated, “Dana’s a promoter and whatever Dana says, I take to the bank. Dana promised him a title shot. I’ll close my eyes and I’ll sleep [well]. Dana always keeps his word. He’s the No. 1 contender.” Abdelaziz went further to state, “I believe something will happen Dec. 16. I believe Belal Muhammad will go there and I believe Belal Muhammad will become the UFC welterweight champion. Even if that doesn’t happen, that’s OK. These two guys fight, the winner will fight Belal Muhammad. He is next for the title. Because I believe anything Dana White says, I do.”