UFC 288 co-main event winner to get title shot

NEWARK, N.J. – Dana White is still insistent that Colby Covington is the next in line for a UFC welterweight title shot against champion Leon Edwards, but another title challenger will be added to the mix soon.

During a pre-fight news conference on Thursday, White announced that the winner of UFC 288’s co-main event between Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad will be next in line for a welterweight title shot.

“One hundred percent… yes, the guy who wins this fight will get the next shot”, said White.

Burns and Muhammad were not originally supposed to compete on the card, but stepped in a few weeks ago when the original co-main event was postponed. Burns, who has competed for the promotion's welterweight title before, recently defeated Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision. Muhammad, who would align himself for his first crack at the promotion's gold with a win, is currently 8-0 with one no contest in his most recent nine appearances.

Before Burns or Muhammad get a chance, Edwards will face Covington in an as-yet-unannounced bout. Covington was the backup fighter for Edwards vs. Usman 3, which took place at UFC 286 in March.

Despite Covington's relative inactivity and 2-2 record since December 2019, White remains firm by his choice for the next challenger. “If Usman doesn't exist, Colby's been the champ now for a while. He's been there forever… He showed up to fill in for that fight and a million other reasons why he deserves that fight,” stated White.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 288.