Remember The Slap

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight up-and-comer Belal Muhammed, currently ranked No. 13 at 170 pounds, has an opportunity to launch himself into the Top 10 with an upset victory over No. 3-ranked Leon Edwards at UFC Vegas 21 this Sat. night (March 13, 2021) inside APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

But even with a victory over “Rocky,” Muhammad knows he’s probably one or two big wins away from challenging reigning division champion Kamaru Usman, which is why “Remember the Name” will settle for No. 1-ranked Colby Covington, who currently remains unbooked at 170 pounds.

“After this fight, that’s who’s next and I hate that guy’s guts,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie. “If I ever see that guy in the street I’m hitting him. I just hate evil people. You could sit there and say, ‘It’s a character, it’s that.’ But you wanna say the things that he says and the way that he talks about people, the way he disrespects people? I’m from Chicago so those types of people, we don’t let you talk like that. So if you say something like that about people I know, people I respect, you’re gonna get slapped, you’re gonna get hurt.”

Muhammad (18-3) took over for the ailing Khamzat Chimaev but has no doubt earned his place atop the UFC Vegas 21 event. “Remember the Name” has won four straight and seven of his last eight, including last month’s unanimous decision victory over Dhiego Lima.

Covington (16-2) has not competed since beating Tyron Woodley in Sept. 2020.

“Obviously, that’s a fight I would want before Usman, because stylistically that’s a fight that makes sense and that’s going to prepare you for the Usman fight, who’s the champion,” Muhammad continued. “So for me, it’s just keeping the momentum going. If I could keep fighting, if God willing I’m healthy, I win this fight and if they wanna get me back here a month later against Colby, why not? I’m down.”

Whether or not “Chaos” would be down remains to be seen.