The co-main event of UFC 288 hosts a title eliminator between two of the best welterweights on the planet. What’s not to like? Well, the circumstances leading to the showdown between Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns in Newark on Saturday are far from ideal and the outcome is just as bad for two fighters who have worked hard to get to where they are.
Muhammad and Burns stepped up to rescue a relatively light pay-per-view offering after Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush was moved off the card. Muhammad was fasting for Ramadan when he got the call. Burns was still recovering from his decision win over Jorge Masvidal in the co-main event of UFC 287 less than one month ago. So why would two fighters on the precipice of a title shot take such risks? Because UFC president Dana White has repeatedly proclaimed that Colby Covington is next in line for UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
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Covington has not fought in 14 months and counting. His most recent wins are against Tyron Woodley and Jorge Masvidal, both of whom retired after 0-4 runs, and Robbie Lawler, who has won a single fight in the last five years. By contrast, Muhammad is undefeated across nine fights dating back to April 2019. Burns also recently beat Masvidal, but his activity level coupled with wins over Neil Magny and Stephen Thompson should bear more weight than whatever case Covington has.
“It’s the story of my life and maybe the story of Belal’s life too,” Burns told CBS Sports. “I’m kind of getting used to not getting the easy way. It’s just who I am. If I need to work a little harder, it is what it is. I don’t get frustrated anymore and I’m not a complainer. I’m a worker. When they said I can’t do it, instead of asking, ‘Why not, why him? I said, ‘What do I have to do?’ That’s how I approach it.”
Check out the full interview with Gilbert Burns below.
The need to reframe missed opportunities as silver linings and repurpose hurdles as fuel is a necessity for fighters who have almost zero leverage over decision-makers. The UFC has overwhelming market power and while fighters are technically independent contractors, the restrictive nature of their contracts gives them very little flexibility in negotiating fights.
“‘Why am I not getting this? Why am I not getting my shot? Why are they doing this to me? Do they hate me?…’ Bro, that’s life,” Muhammad told CBS Sports. “Nobody is going to hand you anything. I knew that right from when I got to the UFC. Anything that I wanted, I was going to have to claw my way to grab it and get it. Knowing, even with this fight right here, it’s still me clawing to grab it and get it. After winning this to get to the title that I know I’m going to get, it’s just going to make all this extra stuff, all these extra hurdles that I had to go over, it’s going to make that much sweeter and that much better to have that gold wrapped around my waist.”
Check out the full interview with Belal Muhammad below.
The fight will be contested as a rare five-round, non-title co-main event. It was Muhammad who pushed for the clause with guidance from UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. But even that stipulation is a concession, one that requires the participants to seek alternative motivation when logic is compromised. The competitor in Burns had no hesitation in agreeing to a five-round fight, but the math did not add up for the entrepreneur.
“It’s kind of the same amount of money to do three or five rounds,” Burns said. “That’s why Masvidal said, ‘If they pay me BMF money, I’ll do it gladly…’ Now I see sometimes it’s not worth it to do five rounds. But in this case, it’s for the No. 1 contender.”
Muhammad is arguably the most worthy contender from a meritocratic perspective. His nine-fight undefeated streak trumps everything going on in the UFC’s official top-five rankings with the exception, perhaps, of Khamzat Chimaev who appears destined for middleweight. Still, Muhammad must take even more steps to ensure his title shot.
“There’s always that moment where you’re like, ‘Is it really worth it? What am I getting? What am I gaining from it?’ I don’t need a fight. I’m on an eight-fight winning streak,” Muhammad said. “I don’t need to take a two-week notice fight to fight a guy who is No. 5 in the world and just had a camp. He has everything to gain from it. I’m ranked higher than him. People can say, ‘Gilbert Burns is the man.’ But I’m like, ‘Bro, he just beat Neil Magny easily and in one round. Then he beat Masvidal pretty easily.’ That’s every fighter’s dream to have two fights off of one camp.
“It’s not about monetary value for me. It’s about the gold. Is this going to be the one that’s going to give me the gold next? Is it the one that’s going to get me the title shot? That’s all they needed to tell me. If my next fight is going to be for the title, then I’m 100% in.”
The UFC appears to be the only party determined to grant Covington a title shot. Even reigning champion Edwards has dismissed his claim as illegitimate. Muhammad remains optimistic that an impressive showcase on Saturday may catapult him over Covington, but there is no guarantee. UFC 288 begins with two legitimate welterweight title challengers. It concludes with one challenger being killed off and the other gaining little ground in the division.