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          Sources: Belal Muhammad steps in to face Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night on March 13

          • Brett OkamotoFeb 19, 2021, 02:58 AM
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              Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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          UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad is stepping in to face Leon Edwards in a five-round main event at UFC Fight Night on March 13, multiple sources told ESPN.

          Muhammad is replacing Edwards' original opponent, Khamzat Chimaev, who was forced to withdraw from the bout last week due to lingering effects from COVID-19. The UFC has tried to book a fight between Edwards and Chimaev on three separate dates, but each fell through due to COVID-related issues.

          Muhammad (18-3) is just five days removed from a decision win against Dhiego Lima at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. The 32-year-old is now riding a four-fight win streak and has won eight of his past nine. His three losses in the UFC have come against solid opposition in Geoff Neal, Vicente Luque and Alan Jouban.

          Edwards (18-3) has a strong case to be fighting for the welterweight championship right now. Fighting out of Birmingham, England, he has won eight in a row. His last loss came via decision against current UFC champ Kamaru Usman in 2015.

          Just last week, UFC president Dana White mentioned the promotion was looking at pairing Edwards with Colby Covington (16-2), a former welterweight title challenger who had also previously been linked to a potential bout against Jorge Masvidal.

          Covington immediately made it clear, however, that he wasn't interested in fighting Edwards, so the UFC moved on. Now, there's another welterweight contender interested in the Covington matchup: Gilbert Burns, who just came up short in a title bid against Kamaru Usman at UFC 258 last weekend in Las Vegas.

          "I believe I'll be ready to come back in May or June, and I want to be right back in the mix," Burns told ESPN on Thursday. "The day I fought, I thought the next No. 1 contender fight would be Leon Edwards and Colby Covington, but that is just not happening. ... For me, I've got [Stephen Thompson] right there, but Colby Covington is the No. 1 guy for me. If they say, 'Gilbert, who do you want?' It's Colby Covington."

          Chimaev, of Sweden, is currently in Las Vegas receiving medical care. His manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told ESPN that they are hopeful he can return by June but that it will be contingent upon his recovery.