UFC President Dana White confirms title shot for winner of Gilbert Burns vs. Belal Muhammad at UFC 288
UFC fans eagerly await the upcoming welterweight showdown between Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad at UFC 288, with the knowledge that the winner will be rewarded with a coveted title shot. UFC president Dana White has confirmed that the victor of the highly-anticipated co-main event will be granted a shot at the welterweight title.
Despite speculation that Colby Covington was next in line for a shot at 170-pound gold, White reiterated that 'Chaos' is indeed the next challenger for the welterweight championship, currently held by Leon Edwards:
"One hundred percent … yes. They won't be out long, the guy who wins this fight will get the next shot."
Check out the UFC supremo's remarks below (from 11:23 onwards):
This means that the winner of the Gilbert Burns vs. Belal Muhammad matchup will face the winner of the Covington vs. Edwards bout in the near future, creating an exciting mix of potential title fights in the welterweight division.
Both Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns have expressed their disapproval of the former interim champion getting the next welterweight title shot, considering his inactivity for over a year and a half.
'Durinho' has successfully bounced back from his loss against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273. The Brazilian fighter is gearing up to fight Muhammad just one month after his victory against Jorge Masvidal in April.
Meanwhile, 'Remember the Name' is currently riding high on an impressive eight-fight win streak and confidently predicts himself as the next welterweight kingpin in the making.
Jorge Masvidal previews Gilbert Burns vs. Belal Muhammad's upcoming bout
BMF titleholder Jorge Masvidal believes that the upcoming UFC 288 co-headliner between Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad is a highly competitive fight that could go either way. The two welterweight contenders are set to face each other at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on May 7th, in a fight that could determine the next title challenger in the division.
'Gamebred', who lost to Burns in a unanimous decision at UFC 287 in April and then retired from fighting, sees multiple paths to victory for 'Durinho', but also acknowledges that Muhammad has certain advantages that could help him win the fight.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the former multiple-time title challenger stated:
"I think it’s going to be a good fight for Burns-tough, I think Belal has, in the cardio department, more advantages in the grappling, I think. Gilbert has different weapons with a little bit better power than Belal. So I think it’s going to be a very interesting, good fight. I could see either one of them winning, actually. I think Belal is a little cleaner with the boxing.”
Check out Masvidal's entire interview below: