“Who wants to fight a racist” - Colby Covington says there will be no title shot for ‘race-baiting’ Belal Muhammad if he wins at UFC 296

Colby Covington is not looking to defend his gold against Belal Muhammad if the former cements himself as a UFC champion.

Muhammad is weighing in as the backup fighter for Saturday's 170-pound title clash between reigning welterweight king Leon Edwards and the challenger to the crown, Covington.

'Chaos' was asked by the media during a pre-UFC 296 press conference about his thoughts on possibly defending gold against Muhammad in the future if Covington gets his ideal outcome on December 16th.

When asked if he was interested in fighting 'Remember The Name' in a championship bout down the line, Covington stated,

"No, who wants to fight a racist? I mean, could you imagine if I said someone earned something off of the color of their skin? That's absolutely despicable, it's disgusting. That guy hasn't deserved anything. I mean, it's not my fault that he's not a star. You have to make yourself a star."

"I'm the one that went out there and did the things that needed to be done to become a superstar like I have. What has he done? He hasn't done anything. He's out there race baiting. Saying, oh he only earned this because of the color of his skin, it's white privilege. Are you f****** kidding me, dude? He's not getting a title shot. There will be no title shot for him."

Check out Covington's loaded remarks for Muhammad below:

Colby Covington and the state of welterweight

Belal Muhammad is currently ranked number two and Colby Covington is the number three-ranked UFC welterweight at this juncture. Muhammad would, in a meritocracy sense, be the most logical choice for the next title crack. This is as the number one welterweight contender Kamaru Usman looks to rebound from a pair of welterweight title losses to Leon Edwards.

Usman also fell short in a middleweight matchup with Khamzat Chimaev. The prolific pugilist just needs to accrue a bit more momentum before another title bid despite his history besting Colby Covington in two previous title clashes.

Belal Muhammad versus Colby Covington would be a first-time matchup if the MAGA-supporting welterweight becomes the new champ this weekend.

If Leon Edwards retains, Muhammad will be stepping into the octagon for a title affair that is ultimately a rematch. That could be a closure providing a potential sequel affair as Edwards v Muhammad ended in a no contest after an errant eye poke during their March 2021 Fight Night main event bout.