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Leon Edwards Has Already Confirmed Next Title Defense to Dana White After UFC 296; Wants Belal Muhammad to Cool Things With Top Brass

Published 12/21/2023, 6:34 AM EST

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The conclusion of UFC 296 raised questions about the opponent for the next title defense, Leon Edwards. Meanwhile, Belal Muhammad, who made weight as the backup fighter for the pay-per-view headliner last weekend, claimed that he should be next in line for a title shot. ‘Rocky’ took notice of that cry and finally agreed to fight him if the UFC wanted him to.

Belal Muhammad has been talking about a title fight for a long time. His cries for a title fight got even louder after UFC 296, after which Leon Edwards finally made up his mind. Let’s see what the welterweight champion has to say.

Leon Edwards has no problems with fighting Belal Muhammad next

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‘Rocky’ seems to have had enough of listening to what Belal Muhammad had to say about him running away from him. He asked ‘Remember the Name’ to loosen up, mentioning that he scares him the least in the entire UFC roster. Leon Edwards said, “Lol belal calm down son you’re the least intimidating person in the organisation.” 

Furthermore, the champion agreed to defend his title against the 2nd-ranked welterweight. Edwards also mentioned that he is willing to fight Belal Muhammad only if that’s what the UFC brass wants him to do. He is willing to align with the path the matchmakers have in mind for him. Nevertheless, ‘Rocky’ did not pass the opportunity to take a jibe at Muhammad as well. “I already told UFC I don’t mind I’ll fight you next that’s easy work. You just have to figure out why they hate you so much,” the welterweight champion added.

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However, Leon Edwards’s agreement to fight Belal Muhammad came days after he dismissed him as the next opponent. Regardless of his dismissal, ‘Remember the Name’ reminded him that his opinion does not matter. Let’s take a look at that front.

Muhammad sent a reminder to ‘Rocky’

Recently, Leon Edwards’ coach Dave Lovell appeared on ‘The MMA Hour‘, where he made a case for Gilbert Burns to be the next title contender. He made a similar move to his student and dismissed Belal Muhammad as the deserving contender. However, Muhammad reminded him that Dana White had already given his word regarding a title fight.

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Days before UFC 288, Dana White confirmed that the winner of the Gilbert Burns vs Belal Muhammad fight would be in line for the title shot after Colby Covington. Keeping this in mind, the 35-year-old had already mentioned that the UFC CEO cannot go back on his word, which is the same thing he mentioned in his recent tweet to Leon Edwards.

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Even though Dana White had earlier announced a title fight for Belal Muhammad, cards are always subject to change. Some people are also of the view that the latter should fight Shavkat Rakhmonov to determine the number one contender. Nevertheless, we will have to wait for an official announcement on this matter from the UFC CEO himself.

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Written by:

Himanga Mahanta

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I am a UFC writer at EssentiallySports, and my passion for MMA and a deep understanding of its intricacies have allowed me to churn out more than 1000 articles. I have covered numerous UFC events and fighters, with the aim of bringing my readers closer to the action and the athletes they admire. I have developed a knack for providing analytical coverage of breaking stories from the world of MMA.
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Edited by:

Abhishek Kumar Das