This was announced in an interview with The Schmo by Muhammad’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz.
“The UFC contacted me and said, ‘Belal vs Colby, trainers of The Ultimate Fighter’,” Abdelaziz said. “We said yes, but no one can find Colby, no one knows where he is. Last I heard about him, he goes to the UFC PI gym with security. I don’t know if he’s trying to sue Masvidal, squeeze money out of him, or is doing something else. Fight or get out of sports and ratings. To be honest, Belal already deserves to fight for the title, but the UFC assured me that they are working on a fight against Covington, which means this is the right fight.
34-year-old Colby Covington last entered the octagon in March last year, defeating Jorge Masvidal in a five-round unanimous decision, and 34-year-old Belal Muhammad scored a fourth victory in a row in October, finishing with a technical knockout in the second round of Sean Brady.