July 30, 2024
Last weekend, Leon Edwards defended his title with three victories in title fights. After a shocking first victory, Leon lost in the fourth round to Kamaru Usman in the second bout of their rivalry, and won the title with a head kick in the 24th minute. He then won his first title fight against Kamaru Usman again in March 2023, winning by decision. At the end of 2023, he closed out the year with a somewhat disappointing title defense against Colby Covington.
Fast forward to last weekend. Belal Muhammad and Leon Edwards put people to sleep. As expected, it ended in a unanimous decision. What surprised many (unless you were Sam Hellerush) was that Belal defied the odds and won. As a result, not only fans but fighters themselves lost excitement for a division that was considered “boring.”
The stage is set for Shavkat Rakhmonov. He is perhaps the most likely to be the next titleholder in the welterweight era. He is someone who can establish himself as the face of the next generation. The 29-year-old is considered the best welterweight in UFC, even though he doesn’t hold the belt. With three straight title fights won by decision, this could be the perfect time for him to gain a new foothold in title contention in the division. Shavkat, as well as the likes of JDM and Ian Garry, could also be poised to compete for a title in the next 18 months.
And I’m not saying the upcoming title fights will be dominated by new fighters, just that there will be an opportunity for some legendary fights between guys like Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards, Jack Della Maddalena, Ian Garry, Belal Muhammad, Islam Makhachev (maybe?) The next generation is here and we can expect some great matchups.
