Belal Muhammad still pushing for Leon Edwards rematch, but offers alternative main event option

Regardless of what happens next, Belal Muhammad thinks he’s earned a big fight.

Muhammad (18-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) had a massive opportunity to catapult himself into title contention when he stepped in to face Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC Fight Night 187, but the bout ended in unfortunate circumstances.

At the beginning of the second round, an inadvertent eye poke by Edwards rendered Muhammad unable to continue and the fight was ruled a no contest. The damage on Muhammad’s eye was very visible but, fortunately, he was only handed a 30-day medical suspension, and is ready to get the rematch booked in a couple of months’ time.

“I got Ramadan coming up in April,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie. “I’m still gonna be training during it, but I’m hoping maybe June. June works out perfectly for me. I literally just had three back-to-back camps in a row so it’s like I want that, but it’s one of those where if they’re willing to do the rematch and they want to do it sooner, I’m healthy enough to do it sooner.”

With the ending providing no clarity for either fighter, Muhammad thinks it only makes sense to run things back. However, Edwards (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has diverted his attention to Colby Covington. Muhammad said he isn’t impressed at the Brit’s change of focus.

“(What) was pissing me off more than anything was the way he was being so dismissive of it,” Muhammad said. “Like, ‘Oh yeah, I won the first round, all the other rounds would have been like that.’ No, it was one round and it’s a five-round fight. I’m literally a guy that picks it up as the fight goes on. His way of thinking is stupid honestly because if Dana White really said, ‘If Leon wins against Belal, he’s next in line for a title shot,’ so if I’m so easy, why don’t you just come and take this easy fight?

“It’s gonna be the same paycheck that you’re gonna get to fight somebody else. There’s literally nobody else for you to fight. None of these other guys are trying to fight you, so this fight makes sense. It has a story behind it now so even in the UFC’s eyes, they can just build it back up as that.”

If Muhammad doesn’t get the Edwards rematch, he’ll switch his attention to a future Hall of Famer. Having won eight of his past nine prior to his no contest with Edwards, Muhammad thinks he deserves a marquee fight and said he would love to lock horns with elite grappler Demian Maia (28-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC).

“Obviously I want a big fight,” Muhammad said. “I feel like I still earned a main event spot just being willing to take a fight on three weeks’ notice. A guy I feel like would be a good main event spot with me is Demian Maia. He’s top 10 and I feel like I deserve somebody top 10 coming off four wins in a row, so I think that fight makes sense. I haven’t gone against a real grappler in the UFC yet, so fighting a grappler, it excites me. I wanna just show that side of me and to fight a legend like Demian Maia would be cool.”