Belal Muhammad believes the bone infection that led him to pull out of UFC 310 in Las Vegas next month is under wraps. Perhaps even a distant memory—in about six weeks. Thus, limiting the need for the promotion to create an interim 170-pound belt for the pay-per-view (PPV) top bill. Rival Shavkat Rakhmonov is not all too sure and ready to put his eggs in other, safer baskets. For once, an interim title fight with former kingpin Kamaru Usman sounds plausible.
Muhammad suffered a nasty toe infection that left behind a bit of a quandary. Rakhmonov has decided to stay on. But the T-Mobile pay-per-view (PPV) dance in Las Vegas does not have a second name. The Kazakh phenom even asked for an interim challenge in the meantime. It prompted Muhammad to snap back that it was just a six-week injury to term. Rakhmonov thinks otherwise.
I don’t believe it’s going to be six weeks, …I believe Jack Della [Maddalena] had the same problem with infection and he’s still not back. It can take awhile…I’m ready to save the card too if it’s for the interim belt. I believe Usman would be ready to jump in to face me. Belal don’t need to be greedy. If I become interim champ, he’s still going to have a belt too. And it’s going to be champ vs champ, even bigger fight.
Shavkat Rakhmonov on ‘The Ariel Helwani Show’ (@ArielHelwani)
‘Nomad’ alludes to the case of Jack Della Maddalena, who was hospitalized with infection back in May that saw him booted from a top spotlight in Perth. Muhammad could be the same, and the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ can enter the foray. There are still talks about UFC 310. That is what manager Sayat Abdrakhmanov added to the convo.
Right now, negotiations are going on, …Obviously [UFC] is talking. I don’t know if they are talking to someone else, but I’m sure they offered it to Kamaru [Usman], too.
Shavkat Rakhmonov and team further on ‘The Ariel Helwani Show’ (@ArielHelwani)
Usman has a history of having to fight undefeated phenoms on short notice. He dropped two title affairs and then a quick bill at the 185-pound mark at UFC 294. But Usman still remains a top crop. Matter of fact, legacy-wise, Muhammad was willing to go his way rather than Rakhmonov. His neat 5-0 title reign makes him one of the best to do it in the welterweight class.
Shavkat Rakhmonov can still be Belal Muhammad’s next dance
It’s the Michael Chandler–Conor McGregor dynamic all over again. But on a different note, minus the lack of billings or prospect challenges. Shavkat Rakhmonov can move on to others and aim to clear up the line for when the man with the gold returns. But for Belal Muhammad, he could still be his next matchup. Especially if brass comes up with an interim spot and the Team Kill Cliff FC fighter wins it.
More to it, Muhammad prefers the undefeated Kazakh more these days. Kamaru Usman is the better name, no doubt, but he has lost two straight title fights to the former champ, followed by a majority decision skid to Khamzat Chimaev. At 20-4 MMA and 15-3 UFC, he is far removed from the gold and not an astute draw for the Chicago man.
Whereas, Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) does more for his career and has even better optics. The ‘undefeated’ part alone is a quick sell. That and the fact that he has a 100% finish rate make it a better roundup to crack for the champ. The ‘Boogeyman’ and the chance to finish the boogeyman is a far better option for any title-fight booking, even if not at UFC 310.
