The UFC’s decision to name Colby Covington as the No. 1 welterweight contender hasn’t gone down well with some MMA observers, nor with Belal Muhammad, who was the most inconvenienced by the move. Tim Simpson, who represents Leon Edwards, was quick to point out that Jorge Masvidal was initially tipped as the frontrunner, but he fell short and retired after losing to Gilbert Burns, who in turn lost to Kamaru Usman.

Simpson said that while they were waiting to see what would happen with Masvidal and Burns, Leon and Masvidal would have made “one of the biggest fights we could do in the sport at the time.” But since Masvidal didn’t win, the UFC had to choose between Gilbert, Belal and Colby, with Colby likely to move the needle the most and make Leon the most money. This is why Dana White named Colby as the No. 1 contender, despite Muhammad’s unbeaten record in his last 10 fights.
 
While Muhammad is the obvious favorite from a sporting perspective, it’s up to the UFC to sign off on title challengers, and they’ve picked Colby. Despite initial reluctance to fight Covington, Simpson said Leon had no problems with fighting him and was ready to go from August, though his foot was pretty banged up after the Usman fight. Despite the delay, the fight is set to go ahead as soon as the UFC can finalize scheduling and negotiations.
 
From a journalist’s perspective, it’s clear that this is a significant fight for both fighters, and there are many factors at play here, from rankings to UFC preferences to fighter readiness. The background on how Colby became the No. 1 contender adds some depth to the story and explains why there was some controversy around his selection. It will be interesting to see how the fight plays out and whether Leon can get the win he needs to secure his spot as the top welterweight contender.