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Belal Muhammad Doubts UFC Offered Leon Edwards 3 Fights, All a Ploy to ‘Hype Up’ Champ
Belal Muhammad thinks Leon Edwards is getting too much credit.
On the cusp of his first title shot but somehow not there yet, the #2-ranked Muhammad is waiting for his crack at the UFC Welterweight Champion.
'Remember The Name' is unbeaten in his 10 fights with his only blemish in the last five years coming by way of an accidental eye poke in a short-notice bout with Edwards in 2021.
The first encounter between Edwards and Muhammad was ruled a no-contest and Muhammad looks to get that one back years later, this time with the title on the line.
Despite being left in the dark, Muhammad holds out hope he's up next for 'Rocky'."You wouldn't believe how many times I get asked that question. anywhere I go like I'll be at the grocery store and I have like an old lady walk up to me like, 'When are you fighting for the belt?'" Muhammad said on ''.
"You wouldn't believe how many times I get asked that question. anywhere I go like I'll be at the grocery store and I have like an old lady walk up to me like, 'When are you fighting for the belt?'" Muhammad said on 'MMA Today.'
"I feel like something's gonna happen soon, right? I'm staying positive with it. I know that there's rumblings of this Manchester card coming up, so I'm just like, bro, I don't even care where, I don't care location. I just want a contract with his name on it and five round title fight, please."
The reigning and defending champ Edwards apparently received the call to fight as early as UFC 300 following his second title defense against Colby Covington at UFC 296 in December.
According to UFC CEO Dana White, Edwards accepted three fights with all of his pitted opponents declining to fight him at UFC 300. UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev confirmed he was one of them and turned down the opportunity because the Apr. 13 date conflicts with Ramadan.
Shavkat Rakmonov and Khamzat Chimaev were rumored to have been offered Edwards as well, but Muhammad refuses to feed this fearless narrative.
"Man, if I'm being honest, I don't really buy the whole, 'We offered him three fights,'" Muhammad admitted. "Like I know they offered it to Islam. I know that Islam turned it down, but I don't buy, they offered it to Shavkat because Shavkat was hurt and I don't buy that. They offered it to Khamzat 'cause he ain't making weight. So for me, I think it was more so to hype up the Leon thing, right?
"Leon doesn't go on social media, he doesn't do interviews, he doesn't hype himself up. So, it's like Dana White's a promoter, he has to promote a guy to be like, 'Yo, this guy's a killer. He said yes to every single fight.'"
The top contender, who was left out of the title conversation altogether, believes White's story was to meant to build Edwards as a 'bigger attraction than he really is.'
"If they really wanted him on [UFC] 300... they knew they could have called me and I would've said yes. So, it just tells me that they didn't really want him on 300 or Leon's a hard guy to deal with."
"But for me, like that whole thing was, I think was just to hype up Leon and make it seem like he's a bigger attraction than he really is. "
Belal Muhammad says he has not been offered any non-title fights, citing:
"The last conversation I've had with him was, 'You're next for the belt'. And for me, I'm believing I'm next for the belt until I see Leon fighting somebody else and he hasn't fought nobody else. So, I'm still taking Dana at his word," Muhammad said.
The UFC Welterweight wasn't lying whenever he said Edwards didn't do much media. For insight, we turn to Leon's brother, Fabian, who spoke of why he's uninterested in seeing a rematch between the two regardless of Muhammad's resume.
“If I’m honest, I don’t [care for it],” Fabian Edwards told MMA Mania. “It’s one of those ones where I want my brother to have the biggest fights in his career. So, if that’s gonna be the likes of Khamzat [Chimaev], who to the fans would be a big fight or definitely him moving up a weight class and challenging himself to try and become a two-division champion. That’s the fights I want to see him in more.
"I get it. Belal deserves it. He’s worked so hard, but the fight game’s not fair sometimes," Edwards added. "I want to see my brother in the biggest fights and I think they’re the most money.”
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