Belal Muhammad voices frustration with UFC’s alleged favoritism towards Colby Covington in WW title contention
Belal Muhammad sounded off on the UFC's alleged favoritism towards Colby Covington, who has been named as the next welterweight title challenger.
During his appearance on UFC Unfiltered, Muhammad shared his thoughts on the idea of Covington being a draw and selling fights for the promotion. He mentioned that Covington's opportunities could be a result of Dana White liking him more than other welterweights as he was passed over for a title shot despite his recent performances.
He said:
"I've gone 4-0 since that fight against top-10 guys. I think it's just that Colby - I don't know - maybe Dana White has a love for him or the UFC sees something in him. I don't think he's a superstar. I think that the pay-per-views he's sold is because of [Jorge] Masvidal or Kamaru Usman. I don't think it has anything to do with him." [h/t MMAFighting]
'Remember The Name' also shared his thoughts on another reason why 'Chaos' is getting a title shot against Leon Edwards. He mentioned that he believes the promotion is trying to make 'Rocky' a bigger star based on who they've matched him up with, saying:
"He [Leon Edwards] barely does any media and they know that maybe Colby will try to sell the fight more than him and maybe it will give Leon some type of superstardom. I think they're trying hard to make him a star by giving him guys like Nate Diaz. They tried to do the [Jorge] Masvidal thing." [h/t MMA Fighting]
Muhammad has continued to voice his displeasure at the welterweight title situation, but another win could earn him a title shot against the winner of Edwards vs. Covington.
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Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns in the works for UFC 288?
May 6! Co main #ufc288 ☎️ https://t.co/pa4OPiJVRJ
It appears as though Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns is in the works for UFC 288 on May 6.
The welterweight clash would serve as the co-main event as the promotion tries to fill the void following an injury to former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, which forced them to reschedule his bout with Beneil Dariush. Both fighters have gone back-and-forth on social media, so it will be interesting to see whether the UFC makes the bout official.
There could be title implications for Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns as the winner would clearly be viewed as the next welterweight contender and could challenge the winner of the upcoming Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington fight.