There were rumors that Leon Edwards would be defending his welterweight title against Belal Muhammad at UFC 300. Days after defeating Colby Covington, Edwards told reporters that he would be defending his title in the UFC’s three-hundredth PPV card this April in Las Vegas, and was expected to fight Muhammad, who is on a nine-fight win streak and ranked #2 in the division.

However, there was widespread pushback against the matchup from fans who felt it was not a big enough fight to headline the anniversary marquee card. The UFC, of course, went with Alex Pereira vs Jamahal Hill for the UFC 300 main event. And Belal Muhammad’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has claimed that despite not being booked for the April card, Muhammad is still next in line for the title shot.

Ali Abdelaziz claims Dana White has promised Belal a title shot next

Ali Abdelaziz was asked about Belal Muhammad’s next fight by ‘The Schmo’. The manager said that the Palestinian deserves a title shot given his nine-fight win streak (including a short-notice fight against Gilbert Burns last year).

Abdelaziz revealed that he had, in fact, been promised by UFC CEO Dana White and CBO Hunter Campbell that Muhammad would be fighting for the 170-pound crown next. While no date had been set yet, he hoped it would happen sometime this summer.

Top Stories

Sean Strickland Passes on UFC White House Opportunity in Yet Another Bold Confession

Florida Commission Draws Fire After Silva vs. Woodley Even as Israel Adesanya Cheers His “Sempai”

Ex-UFC Fighter, Former Wrestling Champion Dies at 63 After Health Complications

Mike Tyson Reacts to Conor McGregor Giving Him Boxing Lessons: “This Guy Is So..”

Nick Diaz Breaks Silence With Major Update as Alarming Rumors Swirl Amid Absence From Public Eye

“He’s on a nine-fight winning streak. He beat everybody, knocked most of his guys out, and listen if it’s his time, it’s his time… Listen, UFC make it clear for me from Dana [White] and Hunter Campbell] and these guys [that], his next fight, it’s a welterweight title fight,” Abdelaziz said.

“When? I don’t know, hopefully in the summer, you know. But I understand UFC wanted to make a big Main Event [at UFC 300]…. He’s still next, you know… nobody deserve it more than this guy and it’s his time,” he added. And Muhammad is certainly determined to succeed and is going to great lengths to prepare for a clash against Edwards.

Belal Muhammad to train in Dagestan

In an interview with ‘MMA Junkie’ last month, Belal Muhammad announced that he will be going to Dagestan to train for his upcoming title clash against Edwards. The Palestinian felt that their work ethic and tough training regimen would be beneficial for him as he sets up for the most important fight of his career.

Read more: UFC Mexico Brawl: Dana White Puts the Blame on UFC Security – “I Was Watching It but Nobody Stopped It”

“I’m planning for sure to go to Dagestan and train with those guys, like you said, to get a new look, to get different feels. Those guys don’t let you take any days off or any easy rounds. That’s always perfect for me. Last time I trained with those guys, we got a dominant finish and I plan to do the same thing,” he said.

However, this has not gone down well with UFC fans who have been critical of his supposedly ‘boring’ grappling-first fighting style and fear his title shot will be even more of a snooze fest as the Dagestanis, too, are famous for their grappling. What do you think about Muhammad’s decision to train in Dagestan?

Read more: Fan Gets Violently Knocked Out as Manuel Torres Desperately Tries to Stop Massive Brawl at UFC Mexico