Belal Muhammad lost respect for Colby Covington after he insulted Leon Edwards‘ deceased father and delivered a poor performance at UFC 296, and believes Covington’s days as a title contender are over.
Belal Muhammad didn’t have a high opinion of Colby Covington before UFC 296. After the event, his respect for the three-time title challenger dropped even lower.
Muhammad had his sights set on Covington and the current UFC welterweight champion, Leon Edwards. He was hoping to take on the winner in 2024. He didn’t care who won; he just wanted a shot at the title.
Covington, however, threw a low blow at Edwards during the pre-fight press conference. He insulted Edwards’ late father, a move that even made Muhammad feel sympathy for his potential future rival.
Muhammad didn’t mince words when discussing Covington’s behavior with MMA Fighting. He called it “pathetic” and said it revealed Covington’s true character. He suggested that Covington’s insult was a desperate attempt to get under Edwards’ skin because his usual trash talk wasn’t working.
Covington’s strategy didn’t pay off. He probably expected Edwards to lose his cool in the fight, but that didn’t happen. Muhammad found Covington’s tactics distasteful.
Covington’s offensive comment made many people uncomfortable, including UFC CEO Dana White. But he still had to back up his words in the cage. His performance was lackluster, spending most of the fight retreating towards the cage.
Edwards dominated the fight, even managing two takedowns against the former All-American wrestler. Covington looked “slow and old,” according to White, especially considering it was his first UFC appearance in nearly two years.
Muhammad critiqued Covington’s performance, noting a lack of pressure and relentless wrestling. He felt that Edwards didn’t give Covington a chance to use his usual tactics. He also thought Edwards could have been more aggressive.
Muhammad wasn’t surprised by Covington’s performance. He had been studying him as a potential opponent for the past two years and felt confident he could beat him.
Muhammad was blunt about Covington’s performance, calling it “terrible.” He felt that Covington’s striking was amateurish and ineffective. He praised Edwards for putting Covington on the backfoot and making him uncomfortable.
Covington’s record in undisputed title fights is now 0-3, and he’s 2-3 in his last five fights. With his 36th birthday approaching in February, his chances of regaining contention are dwindling.
Muhammad doesn’t see Covington as a serious title challenger anymore. He might fight a few more times, but Muhammad believes the loss to Edwards was Covington’s last shot at the title.
Muhammad doesn’t see a future for Covington. He thinks there are better fights out there for other fighters, like Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. He believes Covington’s days as a title contender are over.