Leon Edwards is looking towards the future following UFC 296, and his coach has a preference on who “Rocky” should fight next.
Edwards is fresh off a mostly one-sided showing against Colby Covington. “Rocky” successfully retained the UFC Welterweight Championship over “Chaos” via unanimous decision in the UFC 296 headliner. Many were against the idea of Covington getting the title shot in the first place, as the general consensus is that Belal is the rightful number one contender.
Leon Edwards’ Coach Prefers Gilbert Burns Over Belal Muhammad
During an appearance on “The MMA Hour,” Edwards’ coach Dave Lovell discussed what could end up preventing Belal Muhammad from challenging his fighter next.
“If it’s Belal, so be it,” Lovell said. “We’ve had a feel of him already, we know what he’s about, he has improved but Belal is Belal. You never know with these people. Shavkat, he has the foot injury. So, I don’t think he’d be ready for April, maybe not. Belal will be ready to go, but will Leon and Belal really be a big pay-per-view? You gotta look at it from the business point of view, from the UFC’s point of view.”
Lovell went on to say that while he isn’t going to downplay Belal’s string of wins over tough opposition, he still believes Gilbert Burns is a more intriguing option.
“Let’s put it real, Belal’s earned his place, hasn’t he? Even though he still hasn’t done what Leon did, he didn’t go through the tribulations Leon did, but you know what? He’s earned himself his contendership. To be honest, if I really had the choice, but I don’t think it will happen, I would like Leon to fight Burns … I think Burns brings more to the table than Belal.”
Leon Edwards UFC 300-Bound?
Lovell also suggested that Leon Edwards might just want in on the UFC 300 card on April 13, 2024. Here’s what he said about the potential spot.
“We’ll just see what the boss says, and if he’s down for it,” Lovell said. “He [Edwards] may just want it because now he’s just come out of camp. He’ll want to sort of jump back in.”
Here is Dave Lovell’s full appearance as a guest on the show:
