Belal Muhammad explains why he'd rather fight Shavkat Rakhmonov next over Kamaru Usman
Belal Muhammad recently shared his reasoning for preferring to make his first title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov rather than Kamaru Usman. At UFC 304 in July, 'Remember the Name' captured the UFC welterweight title with a commanding unanimous decision win over Leon Edwards.
In the aftermath of his victory, both Rakhmonov and Usman were swiftly mentioned as potential challengers for the newly minted champion. Muhammad had previously expressed his willingness to face 'The Nigerian Nightmare', especially after they exchanged sharp words on social media over the past month. However, he recognizes that Rakhmonov is the more likely contender for his next bout and has a compelling reason for this choice.
During a recent interview with Submission Radio, 'Remember the Name' explained that if Usman hadn't been on a three-fight skid, he would have rather faced him next. However, Muhammad is now eager to prove his mettle by taking on an undefeated contender like Rakhmonov. He said:
"I think, for me, it would be one of those tests to prove people wrong, to shut them up. My last five or six fights, everybody thought I was gonna get killed, so he's [Rakhmonov] another guy where if I go out there and smash him, what is your excuse gonna be? If I go out there and I beat Usman, it's like, 'Well, he's on a three-fight losing streak, he's done, he has no knees, you just beat a bum.' But if I go out there and beat Shavkat, then nothing. He's undefeated, he has all the finishes, so that's the guy that I have my sights on."
Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below (16:02):
Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov trade jabs in social media spat over fight readiness
Shavkat Rakhmonov recently disclosed that he was offered a title shot in October, which Belal Muhammad turned down. 'Nomad' then hinted that the UFC welterweight champion might not be holding true to his promise of being an active titleholder.
Muhammad quickly clapped back at Rakhmonov on X, pointing out that he hasn’t fought in 2024 and suggesting that he should first face Kamaru Usman in a title eliminator bout before getting a shot at the belt.
Rakhmonov fired back at Muhammad, reminding him that 'Remember the Name' appears to have overlooked the fact that he secured his own title shot after a 14-month hiatus.
Check out Shavkat Rakhmonov's post below:
In his response, Muhammad playfully suggested that someone else might be using Rakhmonov's X account on his behalf:
"Selective memory? Who’s tweeting for you bro there’s no translation for that in Kazakh."
Check out Belal Muhammad's post below: