The mixed martial arts (MMA) world is still waiting for the next Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight title fight to come together.
170-pound world champion, Leon Edwards, looked like a strong candidate to compete at UFC 300 in Las Vegas next month (Sat., April 13, 2024). From an outside view, a rematch with Belal Muhammad seemed most logical for the British champion.
Despite the fight not getting booked for the event, it’s still the match up to make atop the division. However, reports have since revealed that Edwards received three opponent offers for the historic event. None of which were Muhammad, which causes concern for the top contender. For the former titleholder, Kamaru Usman, he doesn’t see how anyone else faces Edwards next.
“The only thing that makes sense right now is Belal Muhammad because Belal has been there for a while, has been in that Top 10, that Top 5,” Usman said on UFC Live (h/t MMA Junkie). “Who else makes sense? I think it’s going to take time to be able to build someone to challenge the champion.”
Muhammad, 35, is on the best run of his 27-fight career (23-3, 1 no contest) as he’s gone unbeaten in his last 10 fights. The only fight of contention was his first encounter with the now champion, Edwards, which resulted in a second round no-contest after Muhammad suffered a bad eye poke. He’s won five straight since.
Usman appeared to be a good possible option for Muhammad a few fights ago after he lost back-to-back bouts with Edwards. Instead, the “Nigerian Nightmare” made a trip up to Middleweight on short notice in October 2023. Unfortunately for him, he lost his third straight fight when Khamzat Chimaev beat him via majority decision.
“I never thought I’d be in this position,” Usman said. “I never thought I would just have a body of work to the point where I can sit back a little bit and let things kind of unfold. For a long time, I was like, ‘I need to get there and be that guy. I need to be champion.’ Now I’m in a position where I don’t have to.
“I definitely want to, but I’m taking time to just kind of see how things unfold because right now the Welterweight division is kind of clouded and the Middleweight division as well,” he concluded. “I’m just taking some time, letting some things heal, and plotting my next move.”