Despite his coach’s comments, welterweight champion Leon Edwards said he is interested in a rematch with Belal Muhammad.
According to Edwards’ head coach Dave Lovell, his next preferred opponent is Gilbert Burns. However, Muhammad and Edwards fought in March 2021, but the fight was ruled a no-contest after Edwards accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye, making him unable to continue.
LaBelle’s comments troubled Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC), where he accused Edwards of being scared.
“Leon’s opinion doesn’t matter. His coach doesn’t matter. All I care about is Dana and he gave me the words. That’s all that matters… We’re next, and It’s the fact that they’re showing fear only gives me more confidence… You should be afraid.”
Edwards (22-3 MMA, 14-2 UFC) defended his welterweight title with a unanimous decision win over Colby Covington at UFC 296 last Saturday. Muhammad attended the weigh-in as a backup for that match.
In the post-match press conference, Edwards seemed dismissive of the idea of rekindling his relationship with Muhammad. He hints that it’s the UFC that he’s not interested in.
“Belal, calm down, son, you are not the most intimidating person in the organization. I’ve already told the UFC that I’m going to fight next and I don’t care, it’s that simple. You just need to understand why they hate you so much.”
Muhammad was declared the No. 1 contender after defeating Burns in May. However, despite this, UFC CEO Dana White did not promise that Muhammad would be next for him at UFC 296.
For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s UFC 296 event hub.
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