UFC 286 was a magnificent event that absolutely delivered on all levels. Leon Edwards proved that he deserves to be the top dog in the welterweight division after beating Kamaru Usman for a second time via majority decision.
After the fight at the medium scrum, Dana White talked with the media about what is next for welterweight champion Leon Edwards. He told the media that Colby Covington will be getting a title shot next.
White then confirms it will be Leon vs. Colby next.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) March 19, 2023
There was speculation that if Jorge Masvidal would beat Gilbert Burns the UFC could put him against Edwards due to their rivalry, but White quickly shot down that rumor.
White says that no matter what happens in Burns vs. Masvidal that Colby is getting the next shot
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) March 19, 2023
Most don’t believe that Covington should be next in line for the welterweight championship, after losing to Usman twice in his last four fights with his only win coming against Masvidal in the last year. Let’s take a look at the potential opponents outside Colby Covington for the champ Leon Edwards.
Who deserves to fight Leon Edwards?
Now that the Edwards vs Usman series is over with Edwards being the undisputed champion, that opens up a ton of opportunities for fighters within the division to move into title contention. Since Usman, cleaned out most of the division, there were only two other fights that could have happened if he had been victorious this past weekend.
Seeing as Edwards doesn’t have a win against a top-10 opponent other than Usman, there are a plethora of potential matchups for the reigning and defending champion.
Belal Muhammad
Belal Muhammad is the first logical choice strictly based on his body of work. He is currently riding an eight-fight winning streak with wins against ranked opposition in each of his last four, which is more than Edwards has his entire career.
Muhammad hasn’t lost a fight since 2019 against Geoff Neal and has won 12 out of his last 13 fights dating back to 2017. He doesn’t have the most fan-friendly style of fighting which is why he is getting the short end of the stick, but it is starting to get hard to deny him of a title shot if he keeps winning.
Shavkat Rakhmonov
Shavkat Rakhmonov is the most dangerous opponent out of them all. He has been wreaking havoc ever since he stepped foot inside the octagon finishing all five of his UFC opponents and with an undefeated record of 17-0.
There haven’t been many that are willing to step up to face Rakhmonov and those that do face the same fate which is being finished before the final bell. He might be the worst matchup for anyone in this welterweight division, and you can assure is on the last of Edwards’ list.
Gilbert Burns/Jorge Masvidal
The winner of this matchup at UFC 287 should also be thrown in the mix for a potential title shot. Ever since losing to Usman, Gilbert Burns has strung together two wins in three fights with his loss being a razor-close fight against Khamzat Chimaev.
Masvidal would be the least likely deserving of the bunch but a fight with Edwards would be the biggest grossing event out of anyone in the division. The bad blood these two have and how it would spill into the lead-up to their fight would make for a great fight whether or not Masvidal deserves the title shot.
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