Belal Muhammad knows he’s not next in line for a title fight, so in the interest of staying active and competing in meaningful matchups, he believes bouts with Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington make the most sense for him next.
Fifth-ranked UFC welterweight Muhammad (20-3) is in the midst of a career peak point at the moment. He is unbeaten over his last seven fights in the Octagon, and he extended that streak two weeks ago when he scored a landmark victory over division star Stephen Thompson. The 33-year-old is ranked as high as he’s ever been, however, he realizes he’s at the back of the queue for a fight with champion Kamaru Usman.
Since he won’t be the next for a championship opportunity, he’s set his sights on finding a fight that can get him a chance at gold. In pursuit of that end, “Remember the Name” believes there are two opponents that check off a lot of boxes. The first is the man ranked behind at six, Jorge Masvidal (35-15). Muhammad sees a lot of interesting connections between the two fighters that make the fight interesting on a competitive level. But he also thinks there is a unique narrative between their managers that can be mined for some fight-building drama.
Belal Muhammad explains why a Jorge Masvidal fight ‘makes sense’ next
“There’s a lot of fights that make sense because a lot of these guys don’t have fights right now. I brought up Masvidal. I’m right ahead of him. He fought for the title twice. I just beat [Demian] Maia who fought for a title twice, ‘Wonderboy’ who fought for the title twice, [so] I’ll take Masvidal who fought for the title twice. I beat two guys who beat him already. So maybe him beating me would erase those two losses a little bit,” Muhammad told TMZ Sports on Tuesday.
“He’s been saying he wants to fight guys that will get him to a title shot. I think fighting a guy like me, who’s [ranked] right above him, makes a lot of sense. Especially if Leon [Edward’s] is gonna fight Kamaru. Stylistically I think it’s a great fight. Personally, I think it’s a great fight. My manager slapped his manager in the face. I used to be with his management team and fired them.”
Masvidal has not fought since a second straight loss to Usman in April at UFC 261. He was scheduled to face top contender Leon Edwards this month before an injury forced him out of the bout.
Muhammad says punching Colby Covington in the face has been a career goal for a long time
If that booking can’t to be made, the Chicago native thinks the next best option is a matchup with “Gamebred’s” former bestie and teammate Colby Covington (16-3). Muhammad claims a matchup with “Chaos” is something he’s campaigned to get for years, and the chance to punch Covington in the face is a bucket list goal he really wants to check off.
“If they give me the Colby fight, and Colby freaking mans up [and] wants it, I’ll do that one too. He fought for the title twice. Lost twice. I just want to keep this two-fight loss streak going for these guys,” he said with a laugh. … “I’ve always wanted to hit Colby in the face. I’ve been calling for that fight for like 10 years. Even before he was high up there in the rankings, even before all this. I just dislike the guy. Hated that guy. I always wanted to punch him in the face.”
Covington last fought at UFC 268 where he came up short in his second bid to dethrone Usman.
Who would you like to see Muhammad fight next? Masvidal or Covington?
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