Forget the โbumsโ at 185-pounds in UFC competition, but โRemember the Name.โ The name is UFC 310โs Belal Muhammad. The Palestinian-American fighter doesnโt mind pursuing a second UFC title at middleweight. The journey towards double champion status only comes when thereโs no work left in the welterweight division.
For now, Belal Muhammad makes a maiden defense of the 170-pound gold at the UFC 310 PPV headliner. He meets dangerous Kazakh phenom Shavkat Rakhmonov. If Muhammad gets past the boogeyman of the division in Rakhmonov, he will quickly run out of worthy title challengers. But the champ doesnโt exactly have a speed run in mind.
To become UFC champion is a career-long goal that Muhammad has succeeded in achieving. But becoming a dual-champ is a whole other game. Itโs one that Muhammad doesnโt want to think about until heโs finished with the welterweight challengers. Ahead of UFC 310, he already has some animosity running with Kamaru Usman.
There is also undefeated prospect Ian Machado Garry, who is vying for title gold; Garry even called out Usman recently. He is up for the challenge after opening his competition tenure with a neat 8-0. Jack Della Maddalena could be another name in the running, and Muhammad has much to take out of the wolf pack.
Belal Muhammad has a fair chance against โboogeymanโ Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310
UFC analysts Dan Hellie, Michael Chiesa, and Alan Jouban recently gave a preview of Belal Muhammad vs. Rakhmonov. The Palestinian-American star won gold at UFC 304 with quite a performance. From outboxing to power throws and a head spiker, Muhammad proved worthy of the title. Hence, the analysts arenโt discounting Belalโs chances against the 100% finisher Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC).
The UFC 310 main event happens on December 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Chiesa, who has a date with Max Griffin on the same night, believes that Muhammadโs resume is not to be underestimated. He isnโt saying Belal Muhammad is a sure pick for the pay-per-view headliner. But Chiesa wonโt be surprised if he can bounce off the offense from the Kazakh.
Muhammad is also piping up on that legendary short-notice schedule after his defense for 2025. He has already run through most of the top guys in his division and is gunning for middleweight. Barring a few, there arenโt many challenges. However, he must get past the Kazakh phenom.
Rakhmonov has his array of challenges and brings a certain gravitas. Just like Muhammad became UFCโs first Palestinian champion, โNomadโ aims to create history for his country. Despite the year-long layoff, the Kazakh phenom will look to continue his finishing streak and conquer the division.