Belal Muhammad believes Colby Covington is nervous about potentially losing his title shot in the welterweight division and finds Covington’s recent criticism about his performance at UFC 288 amusing.
Belal Muhammad had only just secured a win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 288 when he noticed Colby Covington criticizing his performance. Covington, declared the No. 1 contender in the welterweight division, hasn’t fought since March 2022, but is expected to face reigning UFC champion Leon Edwards later this year, according to UFC President Dana White. However, Muhammad couldn’t help but find Covington’s remarks amusing, considering the former interim champ has been out of the game for over a year.
“I think Colby is nervous,” Muhammad said. “He saw me win this fight, and he’s like, ‘Oh crap, maybe I’m losing my shot, maybe Dana White will change his mind,’ or something like that, especially if Leon wants to fight in Abu Dhabi.” He added, “Now, he’s trying to pull strings like, ‘He has to fight again, he’s not a star.’ I’m like, bro, what did your pay-per-view against [Jorge] Masvidal do? The people you fought are the ones that raised the pay-per-view stock. You’re just a clown where people are like, maybe he’ll do something crazy when he headlines, and maybe [Donald] Trump comes to the fights, so let’s give him a title shot. There’s nothing special about him.”
Muhammad has consistently called for a fight against Covington, but each time his request was denied, including at UFC 288 when he ended up fighting Burns instead. While Covington seems likely to get the next title shot, Muhammad believes the UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi in October could put him in line, as it aligns with Edwards’ schedule to compete again. He knows he is a more attractive draw in Abu Dhabi, which could be why Covington can’t stop talking about him.
As for who Muhammad wants to fight next—Covington or Edwards—he doesn’t have a strong preference, but he does have reasons to face either one of them. He holds a personal grudge against Covington and has a past no-contest with Edwards. “On the personal side, I want the Colby fight because I’ve always wanted to fight him, but my competitor side wants Leon,” Muhammad said. “That’s why I would want that fight more than anything, but either one of them can get it.”