![Colby Covington (left), Dustin Poirier (top right), Michael Chandler (centre right), and Justin Goethe (bottom right). [Images courtesy: top right and centre right images from Instagram @dustinpoirier and @michaelchandlermma and the rest from Getty Images]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/02/4f0cf-16763804407131-1920.jpg)
![Colby Covington (left), Dustin Poirier (top right), Michael Chandler (centre right), and Justin Goethe (bottom right). [Images courtesy: top right and centre right images from Instagram @dustinpoirier and @michaelchandlermma and the rest from Getty Images]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABhAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAgEFAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMCAAQFBhEhEiIBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIGEQEAAgEDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMxAAQhERJBUWH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AIdquduUru8riFIxycbj1XcgtcRMxWZ8AAHDIgn3w1OU7vo8UrFzqGNY8QAbMWKT9T5+j6e+mlKEDs4ip7RerjLqhq29N8WdkBePhl8Gv//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Belal Muhammad has been on the hunt for his next opponent ever since he destroyed Sean Brady at UFC 280. No.2-ranked welterweight contender Colby Covington has been called out by the No.4-ranked contender Muhammad multiple times.
Muhammad spoke about the opponents offered to him by the UFC in an interview with Helen Yee on her YouTube channel. He mentioned Covington as a recurring name but also speculated on his confusing objectives of wanting to fight someone from a lower weight class.
Muhammad said:
“All they presented was Colby [Covington], they said Colby was down and then the next week they said he wasn’t down and then they said he was down again then they said they can’t find him again. So I don’t know what’s happening with him.
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
"I think he’s trying to figure out, hoping that one of these fifty-fivers [lightweight] will move up to seventy and fight him. Or get lucky with one of those little trick shots. But if you want to be a champion, if you want to be the guy, you think you’re the best in the world, you gotta fight the best in the world. And right now I am the best in the world."
Check out Belal Muhammad's full interview on YouTube below:
Khamzat Chimaev says Colby Covington does not want to fight him
No.3-ranked contender Khamzat Chimaev has also made similar comments on Colby Covington's availability and his inactivity.
Chimaev spoke in a video with Red Corner MMA that he has waited on a response from Covington for over half a year. 'Borz' also lamented the lack of follow-up from fighters who called him out and said:
"I have no clue, either. At first, they said it was Colby Covington. We've been waiting for half a year. It looks like he doesn't want it. They all call me out, but as soon as the UFC tries to make the fight, they start running. I think it's going to be the winner of [Kamaru] Usman vs. [Leon] Edwards III, whoever takes it will face me."
Chimaev himself has teased a move up to the middleweight division after failing to make weight for a fight against Nate Diaz at UFC 279. The Russian-born Swede eventually fought at catchweight against Kevin Holland but the outcome of the fight was just as brutal as the rest of his winning streak.
Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments on YouTube:
