While Khamzat Chimaev is a straightforward option based on his spot in the Welterweight rankings, the UFC has specified their desire for Chimaev to focus on Middleweight. Therefore, he does not appear on this list.

Belal's Choice: Leon Edwards

Belal Muhammad faces off against Leon Edwards before their March 2021 fight. The fight ended a no-contest after Belal Muhammad's eye was poked and he was deemed unable to continue. Photo by Jeff Bottari, Zuffa LLC.

Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad was scheduled for March of 2021, just a month after Muhammad defeated Dhiego Lima by unanimous decision. After losing the first round, Belal Muhammad suffered a gruesome eye-poke that blinded his vision briefly after Edwards' finger went into Belal Muhammad's eye. Despite how the fight was going before the injury on Belal Muhammad's eye, Muhammad maintains that the fight was slated for five rounds and that fighters win fights after losing the first round all the time. While Muhammad has been vying for a title shot since his finish against Sean Brady last October, the UFC has been staunch in their desire to award Colby Covington the next title shot. Despite Belal's best efforts and the beef between the two fighters over Belal Muhammad's eye injury, he will seemingly need one more win before the UFC awards him with a title shot.

The Next Best Thing: Kamaru Usman

Usman in his second fight against Colby Covington. Belal Muhammad went on the record stating that Usman isn't the welterweight GOAT because he only defended his title against 'just three guys'. Photo by Getty Images.

Belal Muhammad vs Kamaru Usman would be a matchup that could satisfy all parties. Usman is the only fighter on the list besides Edwards, who clearly ranks above Belal Muhammad. He fights frequently and has only lost to the current champion in the UFC. After returning quickly for his rubber match against Edwards, Usman may want to take an extended layoff from the fight game or explore new territory by trying his luck at 185. If he stays at Welterweight, Kamaru Usman will slot in perfectly as Belal Muhammad's next opponent. The fight would represent the significant step up in competition that Muhammad was looking for and set Belal Muhammad up for a guaranteed title shot in his next fight after Usman. The two fighters make for an intriguing stylistic matchup; two wrestlers who have recently found success with their hands.

The UFC's Choice: Shavkat Rakhmonov

Shavkat Rakhmonov is the hottest new prospect at welterweight right now. Photo by Mike Roach, Zuffa LLC.

Dana White and the UFC have already made their preference for Belal Muhammad's next fight clear at their most recent UFC press conferences. White has stated that they would like to match Muhammad up with surging prospect Shavkat Rakhmonov. Rakhmonov is coming off a third-round submission win over the heavy-handed Geoff Neal. Neal gave Muhammad his most recent UFC loss, a unanimous decision in January 2019. To many fight fans, Shavkat Rakhmonov is the next big thing in the sport, as they look forward to a prophesized collision of titans when he fights Khamzat Chimaev one day. This fight makes no sense for Belal Muhammad, given his desire to fight upward in the rankings. Muhammad sits at the fourth spot in the rankings at 170, while Rakhmonov has risen to six. Based on his electrifying performances, Rakhmonov deserves to continue climbing and looking upwards, but so does Muhammad, meaning there is little likelihood that Belal Muhammad will sign the contract. We'll probably have to wait to see Belal Muhammad vs Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Title Eliminator: Colby Covington

Colby Covington has made a name for himself in the UFC as one of the biggest modern heels of the sport. Photo by Getty Images.

In consecutive press conferences, the UFC has made it abundantly clear that they hope to make Colby Covington vs Leon Edwards for the next welterweight title fight. Since the UFC announced its intention to make this fight happen, the MMA world has been up in arms. Calls of support for Belal Muhammad to receive the next title shot have been heard loud and clear, but the real cause for concern among fans is more so due to Covington receiving preferential treatment after sitting out for over a year. The UFC typically rewards activity, but Covington has been sitting on the sidelines following his win over Jorge Masvidal in March 2022. The wrestling standout received two title shots in his last four fights, losing both opportunities against Kamaru Usman. Additionally, fans have quickly pointed out the age of his most recent opponents. Covington's last five wins have all come against fighters who are now retired or nearing that point in their careers: Jorge Masvidal (38), Tyron Woodley (40), Robbie Lawler (41), Rafael Dos Anjos (38), and Demian Maia (45). While beating any of these names once merited high praise, Covington has done well to catch these legends out of their primes to solidify his legacy. In contrast, Muhammad's last win came against 29-year-old Sean Brady, undefeated and entering his prime. Realistically, matching the two up against each other would make for an intriguing stylistic matchup (similar to the Usman matchup) and solve the issue of who to award the next title shot. While this matchup is unlikely, it's what Belal has been calling for on social media.

Squash the Beef: Gilbert Burns

Gilbert Burns fights this weekend but could face Belal Muhammad in his next fight with a win. Photo by The Manual.

While Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad certainly respect each other's skills, the two have recently gone back and forth on social media over their spots in the rankings. Burns and Muhammad essentially had the same type of win over Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson in late 2021, where they both held Thompson down and nullified his superior striking. Since then, Muhammad has continued his win streak, and Burns has gone 1-1. The issue is that Burns earned heaps of respect for taking a fight against Khamzat Chimaev after Wonderboy, and despite losing a unanimous decision, saw his stock rise after knocking Chimaev down for the first time in his career and delivering a fight-of-the-year contender. Burns followed this performance with a dominant first-round submission over Neil Magny, allowing him to continue looking forward toward the belt. The beef between Burns and Muhammad stems from their disagreement over who should be ranked higher; Burns disputes that he should be rewarded for his activity, wanting to climb over Belal in the rankings due to his fight over Magny. However, because of Magny's low spot in the rankings, Burns didn't move up from this fight. While Burns' spot below Muhammad nullifies the intrigue from Muhammad's camp regarding this matchup, Burns has a fight scheduled this weekend against Jorge Masvidal. With a win in this fight, Burns will likely overtake Belal in the rankings, thus making the fight attractive to Muhammad. While a win isn't guaranteed in Gilbert Burns vs Jorge Masvidal, Burns is favored, and this fight will answer a few questions in the welterweight division.

Who is your pick for Belal Muhammad's next fight? I pick Usman, but Burns is a highly likely option depending on this upcoming weekend.

Belal Muhammad FAQs:

• Where is Belal Muhammad From?: Belal Muhammad was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and his parents are Palestinian immigrants.
• Where does Belal Muhammad Train?: Belal Muhammad has stayed local, representing Chicago Fight Team. However, he has recently trained with Khabib Nurmagomedov's team in Dagestan and often travels to Roufusport in Milwaukee, WI, to get different looks.
• Where did Belal Muhammad fight before the UFC?: Belal Muhammad was the Titan FC welterweight champion before entering the UFC, going 9-0. He's also 2-0 in Bellator.
• How tall is Belal Muhammad? How old is Belal Muhammad?: Belal Muhammad's height is 5'10", with a 72-inch each. He is 34 years old.