The UFC is heading back to the Middle East in October, and it looks like they’ve put together a high profile welterweight bout for the occasion.
Belal Muhammad may be unbeaten in his last 8 UFC bouts, including wins over Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson, and Vicente Luque, but even he had a pretty good idea that he wasn’t about to be handed a title shot after his latest win.
“I’m going to stop calling for the champ, because nobody wants to give me that shot,” Muhammad told fans after beating Luque back in April. “So, let me get the big mouth Karen. Colby Covington’s out here calling out 155ers. Come fight a real 170-pounder, you coward! I’m a real ‘70 pounder.”
Unfortunately for him, it doesn’t look like Muhammad’s about to get that Covington fight either. Instead, in lieu of a chance at UFC gold, ‘Remember the Name’ will be fighting one of welterweight’s most promising rising talents. ESPN reports that the #5 ranked Roufusport talent has verbally agreed to a bout against #9 ranked Sean Brady at UFC 281 in Abu Dhabi.
Brady (15-0) will enter this bout with five straight victories inside the Octagon. Most recently the Renzo Gracie Philly fighter took a wrestling-heavy unanimous decision over former Ultimate Fighter winner Michael Chiesa, back at UFC Fight Night: Vieira vs. Tate in November of last year. That bout firmly entered him into the welterweight top 10, setting the stage for a path to title contention that appears to be running straight through Muhammad.
Muhammad (21-3) last tasted defeat in 2019, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Geoff Neal. It’s difficult to say whether a win over Brady will get him any closer to an opportunity to compete for the belt, but the 33-year old has never appeared to be a fighter that would shy away from a challenge.
UFC 281 is set to take place on October 22nd at the Etihad Arena. To date, no other bouts have been announced for the event.