Belal Muhammad continues to be ready for the UFC to inform him who he fights subsequent, but when he had his alternative right now, it will be Shavkat Rakhmonov.
The not too long ago topped welterweight champion expects to have his first title protection formally introduced every 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 instances and a aggressive efficiency in a dropping effort to Khamzat Chimaev up a weight class and on brief discover at UFC 294.
Muhammad informed Kevin Iole he’s leaning in direction of Rakhmonov in the intervening time.
“For me now, I’d somewhat have or not it’s Shavkat, as a result of I believe he has extra aura, I believe 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 I’m going on the market and I beat Usman, Usman’s on a three-fight dropping streak, he’s outdated, he’s on his means out.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 believe he wants one other win to get into the combo to point out that he’s nonetheless hungry, to point out that he nonetheless has tread on the tires.
“However I believe will probably be Shavkat, extra so, whenever you have a look at all the opposite guys. Ian’s probably not going to name for it, JDM, I believe he’s nonetheless damage, so I believe it will be between Shavkat and Usman. Between these two, I believe Shavkat makes extra sense.”
At 37, Usman is definitely solely 14 months older than Muhammad, however a prolonged run on the high 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 damage by the meat Muhammad has from him based mostly 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 all people 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 stored appearing 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 high. 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 high. 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. But it surely 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 high guys, I belong on the high with these guys, and other people stored ignoring me, they stored 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 it’s important to take heed to me after 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 combat, which ended after a spherical when Muhammad couldn’t proceed following an unintended eye poke, Muhammad has gained 10 straight fights and 14 of his previous 15.
As spectacular as that streak is, “Bear in mind the Title” is aware of he must tack on a couple of extra title combat wins if he’s to be remembered among the many finest welterweights ever.
“For myself now, the aim was at all times the gold,” Muhammad stated. “I at all times put gold because the aim. Now, for myself, it’s like, what’s the following factor you need to chase? What’s the following factor? Now it’s GOAT. Now I need to be the GOAT of the welterweights. I need to chase the ‘GSPs,’ I need to chase that aura, being on that Mount Rushmore.
“So whenever you consider the welterweights, the perfect welterweights, I need to be up there with these guys and to do this, I’m going to want some title defenses. To do this, I’m going to want to beat loads of these youthful guys that they’re saying are higher than me, that they’re saying are going to beat me, regardless. And simply hold proving individuals flawed. I like doing greater than something.”
