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UFC: Belal Muhammad avenges KO loss to Vicente Luque, and calls out Colby Covington

  • Chicago native reasserts himself as top welterweight contender with unanimous decision win over Brazilian on Saturday night in Las Vegas
  • Muhammad unleashes a post-fight verbal volley at ‘coward’ Covington, the No 1 contender in their division

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Belal Muhammad (left) kicks Vicente Luque of Brazil in a welterweight fight at UFC Vegas 51. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Belal Muhammad avenged one of the toughest losses of his career on Saturday night – and reasserted himself as a top welterweight contender in the process.

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The 33-year-old Chicago native returned to action in the UFC Vegas 51 main event, taking on Brazil’s Vicente Luque. It was Muhammad’s second meeting with the 30-year-old “Silent Assassin” after a 79-second stoppage loss in 2016.

The second time around, Muhammad employed a clever game plan to outfight Luque over five rounds for scores of 49-46 (twice) and 48-47 from the cage-side judges.

“Let me get the big mouth ‘Karen’, Colby Covington, who’s out here calling out [lightweights],” Muhammad said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier at the UFC Apex. “Come fight a real [welterweight], coward,”

Belal Muhammad (left) punches Vicente Luque of Brazil in a welterweight fight at UFC Vegas 51. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Belal Muhammad (left) punches Vicente Luque of Brazil in a welterweight fight at UFC Vegas 51. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

In victory, Muhammad (21-3) is on an eight-fight unbeaten streak – the third longest active streak in the UFC’s jam-packed welterweight division.

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