UFC Quote: Belal Muhammad Rips "Moron" Leon Edwards For Downplaying Contender Status
Belal Muhammad is in a foul mood after UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards said he isn't deserving of the next title shot at 170 pounds.
Edwards and Muhammad fought inside the Octagon back in March 2021. The bout did not go the way fans had hoped for, as Muhammad was accidentally poked in the eye during the second round and could not continue. Since the no contest ruling of that fight, Edwards has become a UFC champion with two successful title defenses.
Many are of the belief that Belal is deserving of the next welterweight championship opportunity given that he's gone 9-0, 1 NC in his last 10 outings. Those wins were against the likes of Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady, Vicente Luque, and Stephen Thompson to name a few. Don't tell that to Leon, however, as he told reporters during the UFC 296 post-fight press conference that he feels there are better options available.
During an appearance on SiriusXM's "Fight Nation," Belal Muhammad took issue with Leon Edwards no-selling him as the rightful number one contender. When asked if he would've rather fought Colby Covington or Edwards in a title fight, "Remember The Name" made his answer clear.
"For sure, Leon now," Muhammad said. "Now, especially just because of the way Leon's talking and acting like I don't deserve it, and I'm looking at this guy like, 'Man, you're sounding real dumb right now,' and it just pisses me off more than anything because you were in this position three years ago. You were in this position where you had this long streak and nobody gave you a shot. So, you know how it feels. The fact that you're acting like, 'Oh, man, he hasn't earned it yet,' you moron. I'm on a nine-fight winning streak, five of those fights are against top 10 guys, four of those are against top five guys. I've literally beaten every single person in the division that wasn't a champion."
UFC CEO Dana White hasn't committed to what's next for Leon following UFC 296, where "Rocky" defeated Colby Covington via unanimous decision. Most MMA reporters view Belal as the clear choice for Edwards' next opponent, but the question is will the UFC seek a more lucrative fight for the welterweight champion?
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