Belal Muhammad continues to be ready for the UFC to inform him who he fights subsequent, but when he had his alternative in the present day, it could be Shavkat Rakhmonov.
The not too long ago topped welterweight champion expects to have his first title protection formally introduced each time officers inform him to be prepared, and the 2 most-discussed choices are the undefeated Rakhmonov and former champion Kamaru Usman.
Rakhmonov has been on tear, successful his first six UFC fights and persevering with his run of 18 finishes in 18 skilled fights. Usman stays within the dialogue off the energy of getting beforehand efficiently defended the welterweight title 5 occasions and a aggressive efficiency in a dropping effort to Khamzat Chimaev up a weight class and on quick discover at UFC 294.
Muhammad advised Kevin Iole he’s leaning in direction of Rakhmonov for the time being.
“For me now, I’d quite have or not it’s Shavkat, as a result of I feel he has extra aura, I feel he has the undefeatedness to him,” Muhammad stated. “It’s like, there’s no excuse after beating him. I’m going on the market and I beat Usman, Usman’s on a three-fight dropping streak, he’s outdated, he’s on his means out. I feel he wants one other win to get into the combo to indicate that he’s nonetheless hungry, to indicate that he nonetheless has tread on the tires.
“However I feel it will likely be Shavkat, extra so, if you have a look at all the opposite guys. Ian’s probably not going to name for it, JDM, I feel he’s nonetheless harm, so I feel it could be between Shavkat and Usman. Between these two, I feel Shavkat makes extra sense.”
At 37, Usman is definitely solely 14 months older than Muhammad, however a prolonged run on the prime adopted by three straight losses has raised questions as as to whether “The Nigerian Nightmare” continues to be a contender. The UFC’s 170-pound division at present has a wholesome crop of potential title challengers, together with Rakhmonov, Jack Della Maddalena, and Ian Machado Garry.
Usman’s hopes of regaining the title are additional harm by the meat Muhammad has from him primarily based off of their previous interactions.
“It’s hilarious,” Muhammad stated. “Particularly with Usman, as a result of Usman was a man that didn’t point out my identify, wouldn’t say my identify, he was calling out everyone else, saying, ‘This man deserves it subsequent, this man deserves it subsequent’ when he was champion. I had the longest streak on the time and he simply saved performing like I didn’t exist. Now, it’s, ‘Who’s this man assume he’s?’ I even went on his podcast and broke him down verbally, mentally, spiritually, I might simply see it in his face that he didn’t like not being the man on prime. He didn’t like not being the champion.
“Even little components on his podcast the place I used to be like, ‘Yeah, it feels good to be on prime. Everyone’s trying upward at me.’ He was like, ‘I ain’t trying upward at you.’ I’m like, ‘The rankings inform me that you’re trying upward at me.’ These guys, they nonetheless have it of their head, they nonetheless can’t imagine it. Nevertheless it simply feels good as a result of I’ve been saying this from the start that I belong within the talks with a few of these prime guys, I belong on the prime with these guys, and folks saved ignoring me, they saved telling me I wasn’t going to do it. The oddsmakers by no means gave me an opportunity, so for me to go on the market and beat all these guys that they stated I couldn’t beat. To dominate these guys that they stated I couldn’t dominate, now it feels good as a result of now you need to take heed to me once I say one thing.”
Muhammad claimed the welterweight title with a one-sided win over Leon Edwards at UFC 304 this previous July. Excluding a no-contest of their first struggle, which ended after a spherical when Muhammad couldn’t proceed following an unintentional eye poke, Muhammad has received 10 straight fights and 14 of his previous 15.
As spectacular as that streak is, “Bear in mind the Identify” is aware of he must tack on a couple of extra title struggle wins if he’s to be remembered among the many greatest welterweights ever.
“For myself now, the purpose was at all times the gold,” Muhammad stated. “I at all times put gold because the purpose. Now, for myself, it’s like, what’s the following factor you wish to chase? What’s the following factor? Now it’s GOAT. Now I wish to be the GOAT of the welterweights. I wish to chase the ‘GSPs,’ I wish to chase that aura, being on that Mount Rushmore.
“So if you consider the welterweights, the perfect welterweights, I wish to be up there with these guys and to try this, I’m going to wish some title defenses. To try this, I’m going to wish to beat quite a lot of these youthful guys that they’re saying are higher than me, that they’re saying are going to beat me, regardless. And simply maintain proving individuals unsuitable. I like doing greater than something.”
