Aljamain Sterling, Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson and other UFC fighters react to nasty eye poke suffered by Belal Muhammad
Belal Muhammad withstood a nasty poke to his right eye against Leon Edwards at UFC Vegas 21. 'Remember the Name' was headlining a UFC event for the first time in his career, and would certainly be devastated by the outcome of the fight.
Many UFC fighters came to the fore to show their solidarity towards Belal Muhammad and also a put forth proposal of changing the gloves for the fighters.
Recently crowned bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling was one of the first UFC stars to call for a change regarding the gloves. 'The Funkmaster' noted that better gloves will significantly reduce the chances of eye pokes during a fight.
No. 4 ranked middleweight, Darren Till, noted he is "gutted" with the main event conclusion, and that Belal Muhammad and Leon Edwards should consider fighting in a rematch.
Stephen 'Wondrerboy' Thompson also chimed in to show his support for Belal Muhammad.
Muhammad's fellow welterweight contender, Gilbert Burns also acknowledged how unpleasant the eye poke was.
MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz seemed disappointed with the idea of people clamoring for Leon Edwards' next fight instead of enquiring about Muhammad's health.
Will the UFC consider a Belal Muhammad vs. Leon Edwards rematch?
The no-contest ruling came as a big blow for Belal Muhammad, who was competing in the biggest fight of his career. The chances of his rematch against Leon Edwards will largely depend on how fast the 32-year-old recovers.
If Muhammad is forced to remain out of action for a few months, it is likely that the UFC will pit Edwards opposite a top welterweight soon. Edwards had recently stated that he is willing to challenge Jorge Masvidal - inside or outside of the octagon - to settle his rivalry with 'Gamebred'.
Muhammad is currently ranked No.13 in the UFC welterweight division, and a win over Edwards could have thrown him into the mix of contenders who may have a crack at the title.