Colby Covington Claims Belal Muhammad Can’t Handpick Opponents Like Other UFC Champions

Belal Muhammad has been a champion for barely a week and fans and other fighters have already started playing matchmaker for him. Amid speculation about the Illinois native’s next bout, Colby Covington has come out to claim that the welterweight champion cannot afford to pick and choose opponents like others.

‘Chaos’ recently sat down for an interview with ‘Submission Radio’ during which he shared his thoughts on the newly crowned welterweight champion, Muhammad. Interestingly, Covington was dismissive of the 36-year-old from the start and insisted that the latter wouldn’t even be a significant challenge for him.

Furthermore, he also insisted that since Belal is not popular, he won’t have the luxury of picking fights with easy opponents, as he said,

“He is going to look to duck and pick all the easiest fights he can. Guess what? He is not a star, he has no pull so he is going to do what he is told like a good little boy.”

 

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Covington then went on to say that he feels Muhammad’s reign as a champion at welterweight will not last long. In fact, he believes that if the UFC books Muhammad against Shavatak Rakhmonov next, ‘Remember the Name’ will fall short in his very first title defense.

What is next for Belal Muhammad?

Muhammad became a world champion in the UFC in his first title shot. Furthermore, apart from the massive cut in the final few minutes, he did not suffer any serious injuries during the bout. This suggests that the WW champ can return to the Octagon before the end of 2024.

If that is the case, all signs point towards a fight with Rakhmonov. ‘Nomad’ is undefeated with an 18-0 record of which six wins have come in the UFC. As for Covington, the #4 challenger, he will have to secure at least a win or two before he can challenge for the title.