"It is a damn entertainment company" - Ex-UFC champ names surprise opponent who could replace Belal Muhammad for Leon Edwards title fight
Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo recently weighed in on a potential Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad fight at UFC 300. He also shared the name of a high-profile fighter who could possibly replace 'Remember The Name' if the promotion wanted him to.
While there's no official confirmation, Edwards could defend the 170-pound championship against Muhammad at the momentous UFC 300 event in April. The Englishman hinted at this potentially happening during his recent visit to the Aston Villa stadium in Birmingham to celebrate his win over Colby Covington at UFC 296.
After Muhammad's unanimous decision win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 288 in May, he was expected to get the next title shot. However, the promotion decided to give Covington a third championship opportunity.
With that fight out of the way, Muhammad is widely believed to be next in line to challenge Edwards for the welterweight strap. However, Cejudo believes Jorge Masvidal announcing his return from retirement could spoil the 35-year-old Chicago native's championship fight plans.
In a recent video uploaded to YouTube, 'Triple C' speculated that given Masvidal's history with Edwards, the promotion could snub Muhammad to book an Edwards-Masvidal fight for the UFC 300 card. He said:
"Jorge Masvidal just unretired…You know what they’re (UFC) probably thinking? ‘We’re probably gonna exit out Belal Muhammad and give Jorge Masvidal that three-piece and a soda, and give him the opportunity to eventually fight Leon Edwards ... The UFC is a damn entertainment company. For that reason, I think Jorge Masvidal comes back, and he legit fights for the title." [H/T BJPenn.com]
Watch the full video below:
Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad: 'Remember The Name' confident Dana White gives him the title shot next
Belal Muhammad recently weighed in on potentially fighting Leon Edwards for the welterweight championship next.
While there is no official confirmation that the Edwards-Muhammad fight has a green light for UFC 300, the Chicago native was seemingly given some assurances by UFC CEO Dana White.
After Muhammad accepted the fight against Burns at UFC 288 on three weeks' notice, White seemingly told him that he would be Edwards' next challenger if he emerged victorious. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Muhammad said:
"It’s just knowing that’s the last thing that Dana told me. I’m next. Dana is not a man to go against his word. We’re just waiting for everything to be finalized and set in stone and ready to go... When I took that [Burns] fight, they’re like, ‘If you beat Gilbert Burns, you’re next." [H/T MMAJunkie.usatoday.com ]
Watch the full interview below: