"Doesn't make any sense" - Belal Muhammad dismisses Khamzat Chimaev's claim to title shot if he beats Nate Diaz

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Khamzat Chimaev (left), Belal Muhammad (center), and Nate Diaz (right). [Images courtesy: center image from cagesidepress.com, left and right images from Getty Images]

Khamzat Chimaev and Nate Diaz are set to headline UFC 279 in a blockbuster welterweight bout. 'Borz' will aim to secure an impressive victory that could secure him a title shot next. However, Belal Muhammad is of the opinion that a win over Diaz shouldn't be enough for the UFC to offer Chimaev a shot at divisional gold.

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'Borz' facing off against Diaz was not something many fans expected. With his exit from the UFC imminent, Diaz will look to prove a point against Chimaev. Meanwhile, the Russian-born Swede has been working his way towards the title, currently occupying the No.3 spot in the welterweight contenders rankings.

However, No.5 ranked contender Belal Muhammad does not feel the same about Chimaev's title chances. During an interview with Helen Yee Sports, Muhammad said:

"Chimaev's only ranked win is Gilbert Burns and now he's fighting Nate Diaz who is a lightweight. So, when they're saying that he deserves the title shot next, it really doesn't make any sense."

Muhammad explained that Khamzat Chimaev's record does not hold enough pedigree to classify him as the next title contender. The only top 10 opponent that 'Borz' has faced in his UFC career so far is Gilbert Burns.

At UFC 273, Burns put an end to Chimaev's finishing streak but was unable to avoid a decision loss at the hands of 'Borz'. The fight also won Fight of the Night, a fifth bonus for Khamzat Chimaev after he won Performance of the Night in his previous four fights in the UFC.

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Belal Muhammad thinks he deserves a title shot more than Khamzat Chimaev

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Amongst the remaining welterweights, Belal Muhammad thinks he has shown the most consistency and has beaten opponents with a pedigree far greater than the rest of the division or, for that matter, Khamzat Chimaev.

Muhammad made a case for himself to Helen Yee:

"Honestly, I don't think there's anybody in the welterweight division right now who has the same resume as me. I think I had the best resume out there. Last year, I had four fights, three of those guys were top five guys. Now that Geoff Neil's in the top 10, I fought another top 10 guy in the welterweight division. So I'm fighting these ranked guys, a lot of these guys aren't fighting them."

Muhammad's next fight is against Sean Brady at UFC 280, who will be his third top 10 ranked opponent after impressive wins against Vicente Luque and Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson.

He also confidently stated that his results will get him his deserved title shot:

"They're trying to hold me down, but all I gotta do is keep winning, keep pushing and they can't deny me."

Check out Belal Muhammad's full interview with Helen Yee Sports below:

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