Belal Muhammad doesn’t plan to get chummy with Colby Covington anytime soon.
Muhammad is closer than ever to title contention. This Saturday (Dec. 18), he will go one-on-one with number five-ranked UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson. The 170-pound clash will serve as the co-main event of UFC Vegas 45 inside the UFC Apex.
Going into the fight, Muhammad is the number 10-ranked UFC welterweight. While all eyes are on Thompson, Muhammad admits he wouldn’t mind punching Covington.
Belal Muhammad Not A Fan Of Colby Covington
During a pre-fight media scrum, Belal Muhammad told media members that he simply doesn’t like Covington.
“Yeah, I truly dislike him. I don’t like him, I hate him and I just wanna punch him in the face. So, after beating this guy then it’s either Colby or Leon, or in the words of Justin Gaethje we riot.”
Khamzat Chimaev’s Rise
Muhammad also discussed the rise of Khamzat Chimaev. Muhammad is of the belief that Chimaev is so popular that beating him does more than defeating anyone else at welterweight.
“Honestly, Khamzat was one of those where he’s the biggest name right now, the biggest star that has the most momentum, the biggest hype. He has Conor McGregor hype where it’s like you beat him you gain more from beating him than anybody else in the division. Where he has this stigma of him being the boogieman of how he just dominated everybody, so it’s like you could beat a guy like that you’re the next star.”
If Muhammad can defeat Stephen Thompson, it would widely be considered to be the biggest win of his pro MMA career. We won’t have to wait long to find out whether or not he can take that next big step.
Stick with Middle Easy this weekend as we’ll be bringing you coverage of UFC Vegas 45.
