UFC President Dana White has responded to Daniel Cormier’s take on Belal Muhammad’s status in the UFC Welterweight Championship picture.
White is adamant about giving Colby Covington the next crack at Leon Edwards’ 170-pound gold. It’s a direction that some have been opposed to, but the UFC boss continues to stand his ground. Recently, UFC Hall of Famer and color commentator Daniel Cormier chimed in, taking to ESPN’s “DC & RC” show to express his belief that Muhammad deserves a title shot, but he isn’t getting it because there are more appealing fights for the mainstream audience.
During the UFC San Antonio post-fight press conference, Dana White weighed in on Cormier’s opinion when asked by a reporter.
Dana White: We have plans for Belal.#UFC pic.twitter.com/AKSubRNuge
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) March 26, 2023
“Well, Daniel Cormier doesn’t make those decisions,” White said. “That’s nice of him, but we have plans for Belal. Belal’s gonna fight again soon and then we’ll find out who’s next in line.”
On “DC & RC,” Cormier said that Colby Covington’s name is simply more appealing to the UFC brass right now than Muhammad. (via MMAJunkie).
“When you start to look at who’s warranted, Belal Muhammad’s the most warranted. He’s done the most and deserves the fight, but he’s not sexy. The name’s not sexy. Colby Covington’s name is sexy. It draws people in. Whether you love him or you hate him, you have an opinion of him.”
He also took to his YouTube channel to say that now Muhammad is likely in for a tough non-title fight that could potentially take him out of title contention
“I believe that Belal is the most deserving guy, but he’s fighting Shavkat [Rakhmonov]. That’s such a tough fight. It’s such a tough fight.”
Muhammad is 8-0, 1 NC in his last nine outings. He hasn’t lost a bout since early 2019 when he dropped a unanimous decision against Geoff Neal. Muhammad sits at the number four spot on the official UFC welterweight rankings. Muhammad could be in for a showdown with Shavkat Rakhmonov, as White told reporters during the UFC 286 post-fight presser that the bout was being worked on.
