Leon Edwards gets new opponent for March 13, will now meet Belal Muhammad in five-round main event

Leon Edwards has accepted a new opponent for March 13. According to ESPN‘s Brett Okamoto, the long-absent welterweight star will now take on Belal Muhammad.

Five days removed from a win last weekend, Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) has agreed to replace Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round main event against Leon Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) on March 13 per sources … And if Edwards wins this, it’s gotta be a title shot next, right? Gotta be. pic.twitter.com/tFM7KdhdAQ

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 18, 2021

Leon Edwards was originally slated to fight unranked welterweight prospect Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of the March 13 card. Regrettably, Chimaev was forced out of the matchup due to lingering health issues stemming from a previous COVID-19 infection.

Not long after Chimaev withdrew from the card, Edwards made it clear that he intended to stay on the March 13 event against a new opponent. Given that he’s currently in the midst of a lengthy layoff, his desire to stick to that schedule certainly makes sense.

Edwards has not fought since July, 2019, when he picked up a decision victory over former UFC lightweight champion and interim welterweight title challenger Rafael dos Anjos. He was slated to fight former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in early 2020, but the fight fell through due to the early travel restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic. He was then scheduled to fight Chimaev on three different dates, but all three attempts at making the fight fell through.

Edwards is currently on a fantastic, eight-fight winning streak, highlighted by wins over top-flight foes in Vicente Luque, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Gunnar Nelson, and dos Anjos. That streak has earned him the No. 3 spot in the UFC welterweight rankings.

Belal Muhammad, on the other hand, is currently on a four-fight win streak, having recently beaten Curtis Millender, Takashi Sato, Lyman Good, and most recently, Dhiego Lima at last Saturday’s UFC 258 card. That streak has positioned him as the UFC’s No. 13 welterweight contender.

What are your thoughts on this newly announced welterweight matchup between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad? Who do you think will come out on top in the fight? Let us know your predictions in the comments section.