Is Belal Muhammad fighting Leon Edwards instead of Colby Covington at UFC 296? 'Remember the Name' addresses rumors

Belal Muhammad has responded to the rumors surrounding him stepping in to replace Colby Covington at UFC 296.

Leon Edwards is set to put his UFC welterweight title on the line against Colby Covington in the main event of the final pay-per-view of the year. However, a rumor that spread online had fans worried about the highly anticipated matchup, with fear surrounding whether 'Chaos' would make it to the fight, especially considering how many high-profile injuries have happened this year.

However, the news was nothing but a rumor. Addressing the same, Belal Muhammad, who was suggested to be stepping in, took to X/Twitter to set the record straight.

Muhammad posted:

"Rumor isn’t true ..If I was stepping in I’d be shouting it from the rooftops"

Take a look at Muhammad's tweet below:

Multiple marquee UFC events have suffered last-minute shuffles over the course of 2023. The last two pay-per-views have seen massive changes to the originally scheduled headlining bouts, with Charles Oliveira pulling out of UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi and the scrapping of UFC 295's Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic main event.

UFC 296 will be underway on December 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. No major fights have fallen through as yet.

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What's next for Belal Muhammad?

Belal Muhammad has been calling for a title shot for a while now. The No.2-ranked welterweight is coming off a decision win over Gilbert Burns in a bout that came together at the eleventh hour. Notably, the victor was guaranteed a title shot by UFC CEO Dana White, so Muhammad will likely take on the winner of the UFC 296 headliner.

'Remember the Name' took on Leon Edwards on short notice back in 2021, with the bout ending in unceremonious circumstances. An accidental eye poke resulted in a no-contest, so if Edwards defends his title later this month, a rematch with Muhammad could be next.

If Colby Covington emerges victorious, the lead-up to a potential fight against Muhammad would be a sight to behold. Muhammad has repeatedly claimed that he can dispatch Covington with ease, while 'Chaos' has barely mentioned 'Remember the Name'.