UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad believes his first challenger should have to earn the chance. It’s a cutthroat “dog eat dog” world, after all. Muhammad himself had to wait quite a while for a shot at the championship belt despite a clear history with the then-champ. By no means does he mean to do the same. However, he is all up for putting Shavkat Rakhmonov and Kamaru Usman to the test.
Less than a month after Muhammad’s UFC 304 title win, talks of his first defense have already begun. The new 170-pound champion has already fielded calls to defend from Shavkat Rakhmonov and Kamaru Usman. A week back, Belal Muhammad even said he wanted to be an active champ. However, he faced blame for ducking, which the 36-year-old opposed.
Inactive? Lol I’m still on trial and Shavkat hasn’t fought since 2023 I think Shavkat and Usman should fight to find the real number one contender
Belal Muhammad via X (@bullyb170)
Rakhmonov, the current No. 3 welterweight in the listings, said that Muhammad had turned down a match in October. This was the UFC 307 pay-per-view from Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. Alex Pereira, who Muhammad wants to model himself after, headlines the card. The champion from Chicago did not outright deny turning it down. However, he wants a clear top contender challenge.
Inactive? Lol I’m still on trial and Shavkat hasn’t fought since 2023 I think Shavkat and usman should fight to find the real number one contender pic.twitter.com/7fKYMZsqbl
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) August 30, 2024
Muhammad has been continuously taking jabs at Kamaru Usman. However, the former UFC pound-for-pound king is on a 0-3 defeat streak. While this can be a chance at redemption, realistically, the undefeated Kazakh fighter at year-end is a more suitable option. In a further meme post on X, even ‘Remember the Name’ hinted as much.
Belal Muhammad thinks top brass is angling for Shavkat Rakhmonov title shot
Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has not fought since scoring a submission victory over former title challenger Stephen Thompson at UFC 296 last year. The ‘Nomad’ from Kazakhistan expects a competitive fight with Belal Muhammad, believing he has done enough to earn a title shot. Hence, Shavkat Rakhmonov planted a diss on the champ for ducking him, which sparked a response.
Will Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Kamaru Usman come to pass? (Source: complex.com/X)Meanwhile, Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) is currently riding a three-fight losing streak. The former champion dropped his title and lost the rematch. Then, he dropped a short-notice majority decision to Khamzat Chimaev at 185-pound at last year’s UFC 294. Before this, though, Kamaru Usman hadn’t lost in over nine years and had defended his title five times.
However, his matchup at UFC 294 came as a push for Chimaev’s promised title shot. While some think Usman’s previous star power may snub Rakhmonov, Muhammad thinks otherwise. If this was a “choose a blue pill/red pill” game, both options would spell title shots for Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Whichever way the wind blows, Belal Muhammad has stirred the pot. With his sudden call for a top contender bout and the fact that he would not be ready to return in October, all bets are free. So far, Rakhmonov has not said anything about other fights being offered to him. As such, he could very likely receive the next title shot at the end of the year.
