Ben Askren warned Leon Edwards of the consequences of turning down title challengers.
After Edwards defeated Kamaru Usman at UFC 286, Dana White revealed that Colby Covington would be getting the next welterweight title shot. As a result, there have been debates about whether Covington deserves the opportunity, including ‘Rocky’ saying he won’t let it happen.
During a podcast with Daniel Cormier, Askren had this to say about the situation:
“UFC fighters, they can push back against Dana [White], but where it bites them in the a** is Dana will hold it against them. They can win in the short term. Like if Leon just keeps saying, ‘nah, I’m not fighting him, nope, I’m not fighting him, give me someone else, give me someone else,’ it might happen, and then when Dana gets to get him back, he’s gonna get him back.”
Covington hasn’t fought since March 2022, when he defeated Jorge Masvidal in a dominant decision win. Although ‘Chaos’ is the highest-ranked welterweight besides Usman, some people believe Belal Muhammad is more deserving of a title shot.
Leon Edwards feels Colby Covington being awarded a title shot would be a product of "Dana White privilege" 😬 #TheMMAHour
"I definitely have a say and he ain’t getting the title shot next fight."
▶️ https://t.co/JcrgzatfWO pic.twitter.com/YUd1MGEceP
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 20, 2023
Watch Ben Askren and Daniel Cormier break down the UFC welterweight division below:
Ben Askren believes Belal Muhammad deserves the next welterweight title shot
Belal Muhammad’s last loss was in January 2019 against Geoff Neal. Since then, ‘Remember The Name’ has won eight fights, with a no-contest against Leon Edwards splitting his win streak in half. During the same podcast with Daniel Cormier, Ben Askren discussed Muhammad potentially getting the next welterweight title shot by saying:
“The one who I think should get the title shot is Belal [Muhammad]. Belal is now I think 8-0 or maybe he’s won eight in a row, and he has the no-contest against Leon… He’s the one that I think should get it.”
There are several different ways that the UFC welterweight division can play out. Colby Covington is most likely getting the next title shot, but nothing is guaranteed in the MMA business.
On April 8, Jorge Masvidal takes on Gilbert Burns in the UFC 286 co-main event. If Masvidal emerges victorious, he could become the number one welterweight contender because of his history with ‘Rocky.’ It’ll be intriguing to see if the UFC listens to Edwards’ requests for Covington to get another win before securing another championship fight.
On this day in 2019, Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) delivered the three piece and soda 🥤 #UFCLondon
— bjpenndotcom (@bjpenndotcom) March 17, 2023
