There’s not a whole lot to say about Leon Edwards’ win over Covington itself. He did what he had to do in a relatively uneventful 25 minutes and got his hand raised with absolutely no controversy, and he must be commended for doing so after the reckless words Covington spoke pre-fight.
What raised my eyebrow the most on the night of Edwards’ second title defense was his utter dismissal of Belal Muhammad being the next challenger for his belt.
If Edwards (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) wanted to claim that after a dull fight with Covington, that Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) doesn’t exactly present the best option for the entertainment of the fans, then fine. But for the Brit to essentially say Muhammad hasn’t earned it with his 10-fight unbeaten streak is nonsense.
“I don’t feel like Belal should be next.”
Leon Edwards says Belal Muhammad shouldn’t be able to “skip the line” for a title shot after his #UFC296 win. pic.twitter.com/iz3iydwenu
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) December 17, 2023
Love him or hate him, Muhammad has earned his opportunity to challenge for that belt, and though he’s a polarizing figure, there’s enough to promote the fight. His history with Edwards going back to their March 2021 fight that ended with in a no contest due to an eye poke from Edwards to Muhammad is something to work off of, and it’s the right merit-based bout.
Edwards said Muhammad would be cutting he line with a title shot, but again, that is flawed. Muhammad is the line right now, and though Rakhmonov has been super impressive in his run, the names on his resume aren’t as good as Muhammad. That’s just a fact.
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This story originally appeared on MMA Junkie