A world title shot is Leon Edwards’ for the taking if he is able to put on a showcase against Belal Muhammad this Saturday.
The main event of UFC Vegas 21 will feature Leon Edwards making his long-awaited return to competition against #13-ranked Belal Muhammad. Being that Edwards himself is ranked a whopping 10 spots ahead of Muhammad, “Rocky” would have much rather taken on someone higher up the welterweight ladder, namely #1-ranked Colby Covington. After all, such a victory would not only be a larger feather in the cap for him, but it would practically ensure Edwards that he would be next in line for a title shot.
As it turns out, though, Edwards may not need a victory over Covington or anyone else to earn a title shot. All he needs to do is put forth a very impressive performance over Belal Muhammad this Saturday.
“100%,” White told BT Sport of Edwards’s chances of a title shot following a spectacular performance at UFC Vegas 21.
The framing of the question was specific to the level of Edwards’ performance and not limited to a victory of any variation. So it remains unclear if a simple win for Edwards would be enough to earn a title shot or if he would need to execute a complete masterclass on Muhammad. If Edwards does make a strong enough case to ensure a title shot, he would have to wait to face the winner of Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal if that fight is to be finalized.
As for Edwards’ would-be opponent of Colby Covington, his short-term future remains in limbo, but White is optimistic that the UFC will come to terms with the outspoken contender.
“Yeah, I don’t remember what the Colby Covington situation was, but we’ll get Colby a fight here soon,” White responded when asked about Covington/Edwards falling through.
UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad (UFC Vegas 21) takes place this Saturday, March 13, 2021, from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Do you believe Leon Edwards should receive an automatic title shot with a victory over Belal Muhammad regardless of how impressive it is?
