Ben Askren says Belal Muhammad most deserving of UFC title shot vs. Leon Edwards

Based off recent runs, Ben Askren thinks Belal Muhammad should be next in line for UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards.

Muhammad (22-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) is unbeaten in his past nine fights, with wins over the likes of ranked fighters Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque, and formerly unbeaten Sean Brady at UFC 280.

The lone asterisk in that run is a no contest against Edwards (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) in March 2021 – a fight where Muhammad was inadvertently poked in the eye in Round 2 and rendered unable to continue.

“The one I think should get the title shot is Belal,” Askren said on Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel. “Belal is now – I think he’s 8-0. He’s won eight in a row, maybe, and he has the no contest against Leon, right? They were already supposed to fight. They were in the cage together. They were fighting, and there was an eye poke, so he’s the one that I think should get it.”

It appears the UFC has other plans for Muhammad. In the UFC 286 post-fight news conference, UFC president Dana White mentioned the promotion’s plans of booking Muhammad against undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov next.

With Edwards closing his trilogy with Kamaru Usman by defeating him in this past Saturday’s headliner at The O2 in London, the champion is seeking revenge against Jorge Masvidal, who first has to get past Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 on April 8.

Askren wouldn’t be opposed to that.

“The rumors I was hearing today were Shavkat (Rakhmonov) and Belal, and then the winner of Jorge (Masvidal] and Gilbert (Burns) vs. Leon,” Askren said. “I don’t really hate that. I’m good with that.”

He continued, “I don’t like Jorge. But that being said, he hasn’t won a fight. If he beats Gilbert Burns, I’m OK with it because Gilbert Burns is the real deal.”