Leon Edwards trumps Belal Muhammad, dead even with Shavkhat Rakhmonov for opening odds

Odds for UFC welterweight champ Leon Edwards’ next opponent are out, and Shavkhat Rakhmonov is a bigger threat than Belal Muhammad, according to opening lines.

BetOnline.ag has set Edwards as a significant favorite in a potential rematch, with a -400 line implying an 80 percent chance of winning to the +300 Muhammad, whose first meeting with “Rocky” ended in a no-contest due to an eye poke from the then-challenger.

A $100 bet on Edwards would return $25, while the same bet on Muhammad would return $300.

A fight with Rakhmonov puts Edwards in a tossup situation, according to the opening odds. Both fighters are set at -110, implying an even chance of winning around 52 percent. A $100 bet would return about $91 on either fighter.

On records alone, Rakhmonov makes him a standout with an 18-0 record, all but finish. The Kazakh welterweight improved his resume at UFC 296 with a submission of two-time title challenger Stephen Thompson, leading many MMA observers to call for him to jump the line over Muhammad.

Edwards hasn’t made any callouts for his next opponent, though he’s sounded less enthusiastic about a rematch with Muhammad than another foe. UFC CEO Dana White didn’t tip his hand on the next welterweight title fight, but Muhammad did weigh in as a backup for UFC 296, which ended with Edwards’ unanimous decision over Colby Covington in his second title defense.

Covington got the UFC 296 title shot by weighing in as a backup for Edwards’ trilogy fight with ex-champ Kamaru Usman, but there’s no telling whether Muhammad will be getting the same treatment. Muhammad trashed Edwards’ performance in an interview after UFC 296 and called for the title shot.