No. 2-ranked UFC welterweight Leon Edwards will likely receive the next title shot against Kamaru Usman, and Belal Muhammad doesn’t think he deserves it.
Edwards (19-3, 1 NC), who is unbeaten in his last 10 fights, will fight the reigning 170-pound king once he returns from hand surgery. That’s what UFC president Dana White told BT Sport last month.
“Usman, we’re waiting for his hand to get cleared,” White said. “His hand gets cleared and [Edwards has] got the fight.”
But, Muhammad doesn’t think “Rocky” has established a strong enough case to warrant himself a title fight. Since his last loss to Usman in 2015, Edwards has beaten the likes of former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, MMA superstar Nate Diaz and fan-favorite combatant Donald Cerrone.
Edwards and Muhammad also clashed inside the Octagon, however the fight was ruled a no-contest after “Remember the Name” was poked in the eye and couldn’t continue fighting.
Edwards Has ‘Dana White Privilege,’ Muhammad Said
To Muhammad, Edwards has “Dana White privilege,” which is why he’s receiving a title fight next.
After defeating Vicente Luque on Saturday night, Muhammad spoke with the media during the UFC Vegas 51 post-fight press conference. That’s when Remember the Name gave his take on his former opponent.
“I don’t think he deserves to fight for the title,” Muhammad said via MMA News. “I think he has that Dana White privilege, but whatever. I don’t expect to be handed anything, I had to fight for everything I got. And I have to be willing to keep doing it.”
Muhammad Compares Himself to the Rest of the Welterweight Elite
Muhammad’s win over Luque was the biggest win of his career. Remember the Name (21-3, 1 NC) was sitting at No. 6 in the official UFC welterweight rankings whereas Luque was established at No. 5. The two battled for five rounds during the evening’s main event, and Muhammad picked up the win by unanimous decision.
With the victory, Muhamamd avenged his 2016 KO loss to Luque and when the rankings update later this week, he’ll likely break into the division’s top five.
Like Edwards, Remember the Name is also riding a lengthy unbeaten streak. He hasn’t tasted defeat in his last eight outings while adding multiple big names to his mantel, specifically former title challengers Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Demian Maia.
During the presser, Muhammad compared his work inside the Octagon to two men ranked above him, Edwards and the No. 1 contender, Colby Covington.
“Who is the only one in the division with a better run than I am on?” Muhammad said at the presser. “I’m literally fighting Maia, Wonderboy, Luque. Who is Colby fighting? He’s fighting guys off of two losses in a row. Who is Leon fighting? He’s fighting ’55ers.
“None of these guys are fighting the contenders in the division, none of these guys have the guts to do that. I’m the one that’s going through 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I’m the one saying yes to the toughest in the division. Leon may have more wins than me, but he doesn’t have the quality of wins that I have.”
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UFC Star Is Receiving Major Opportunity Because He Has ‘Dana White Privilege’