"Finally man" - Stephen Thompson reacts to Belal Muhammad stepping in as backup fighter for UFC 296 welterweight title bout

Stephen Thompson believes it's been a long-time coming for Belal Muhammad, after it was revealed he was the backup fighter for UFC 296's main-event.

Leon Edwards defends his welterweight title against Colby Covington this weekend at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. 'Rocky' is heading into the fight looking to make his second successive title defence and extend his undefeated streak to 13, whereas 'Chaos' will be making his first UFC appearance in over a year.

Dana White confirmed Covington as the next challenger to face Edwards back in March, after the British fighter defended the belt against Kamaru Usman. The decision irked a majority of MMA fans, as many felt Belal Muhammad was more deserving of facing Edwards next.

At the time, Covington had been out of action for over a year and had previously come up short on two attempts to win the title from Usman. Meanwhile 'Remember the Name' was undefeated in his last 9 outings.

Weighing in on the situation was Stephen Thompson, who spoke to the media ahead of UFC 296 this week. According to 'Wonderboy', making Muhammad the backup fighter for the main-event is the correct decision. He said:

"Finally man, for Belal this is a long time coming. He needs to be fighting for the title."

Catch Thompson's comments here (6:10):

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Robert Whittaker breaks down why Stephen Thompson vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov is a "pivotal moment" for both fighters

At the age of 40, Stephen Thompson is set to face one of the welterweight division's biggest upcoming talents when he takes on the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296 this weekend.

'Wonderboy' picked up a victory against Kevin Holland his last time out, earning a well deserved Fight of the Night bonus. For Rakhmonov, he extended his UFC finishing streak to 5 by submitting Geoff Neal back in March.

Breaking down their upcoming clash was Robert Whittaker, who believes the fight has major implications for both fighters. According to 'The Reaper', the winner will join an 'elite group' in the division and be considered for a title shot next. He explained:

"If he [Thompson] beats Shavkat, he's still in talks, he's still right there, he's obviously hunting for bigger things. I guess this is one of those pivotal moments for both guys. Pivotal moment for 'Wonderboy' and for Shavkat, because one gets pushed into the elite group and one gets pushed back into the talks of title contention potentially."

Catch Whittaker's comments here (13:00):