‘First Ballot Hall Of Famer’ Edwards ‘Well Within Reach’ Of 170 GOAT

Leon Edwards’ reign as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight champion is well underway.

“Rocky’s” first two title defenses came successfully over two of the division’s most prolific names of the past five years, the former champion, Kamaru Usman, and perennial contender, Colby Covington. After taking out arguably his stiffest opposition, at least at the immediate apex of 170 pounds, Edwards appears headed for a rematch with the only man he didn’t defeat on his current 13-fight unbeaten streak (22-3, 1 no contest), Belal Muhammad.

Edwards and Muhammad fought to a no contest after a second round eye poke rendered Muhammad unable to continue in UFC Vegas 21’s main event in March 2021. Edwards hasn’t been overly thrilled about the idea of facing Muhammad a second time, but for the sake of his legacy, UFC commentator, Jon Anik, believes it can only bolster his status as a potential legend.

“I’m not necessarily surprised,” Anik said in an interview with Bodog Canada (h/t MMA Junkie). “It’s not Leon Edwards’ job as undisputed UFC Welterweight champion to lay the foundation for his next title defense. Certainly, if his aspiration is to go down as the greatest Welterweight champion of all time — and by the way that is well within reach when you just beat Kamaru Usman twice and then Colby Covington. If that’s the goal, he should want to take out and beat all of these guys.

“I think you need to marry the financial goals with the career-aspirational goals,” he continued. “I mean, he’s a Hall of Famer first ballot, but to go down potentially as the greatest Welterweight of all time, if Belal Muhammad is indeed easy work, I think that fight makes a lot of sense.”

Despite having as good of a case as any contender across all divisions at the start of 2024, there’s been no guarantee that Muhammad will be next in line for Edwards. Riding a 10-fight unbeaten streak (23-3, 1 no contest), Muhammad last secured victory with a dominant unanimous decision against Gilbert Burns at UFC 288 in May 2023. Outside of Muhammad, Shavkat Rakhmonov would be the presumed next-best choice, but is dealing with an ankle injury, which leaves only one other option, according to Anik.

“Khamzat Chimaev is the only man who can lay claim to a Welterweight title shot right now, as far as I’m concerned, other than Belal Muhammad, and he’s not competing at the weight class,” Anik said. “Belal has one of these unbeaten streaks like all of the champions do, and he doesn’t get any pound-for-pound consideration. I just think we have to restore a little bit of order, and I do think the UFC is going to make the right decision here.”