Belal Muhammad eyes "Alex Pereira moment" with December comeback on rumored Conor McGregor card, names two potential opponents
Belal Muhammad recently opened up on his first welterweight title defense and the potential timeline for his octagon return. Muhammad is keen to feature on a card rumored to be headlined by Conor McGregor. In addition, he named two potential contenders for his belt.
UFC 304 featured a highly anticipated rematch between Muhammad and Edwards. The Jamaica-born Englishman lost his welterweight belt by unanimous decision after being outwrestled and outstruck throughout the fight. After winning the title, Muhammad joked about giving 'Rocky' a title opportunity in another three years.
Meanwhile, during the UFC 304 post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White stated that the promotion does not want to book a third Muhammad-Edwards fight immediately.
In a recent interview with TMZ, 'Remember The Name' discussed his return, stating that it will be around late 2024. He said:
''Hopefully, I get something at the end of the year. Maybe that December card. That would be the perfect moment for me. I think that would be perfect turnaround time...they put the McGregor card on there, they don't put no other title fights on there with him but there's probably like a 5% chance that McGregor is actually fighting so I'll stay ready so I could have my Pereira moment.''
When asked about his potential opponents for the title defense, Muhammad responded:
''The guy that's the highest ranked is Shavkat, and he's the boogeyman of the division, so that one makes sense. But, there's also Usman right there as well. I know he's on a losing streak, but legacy-wise, he was the guy that Dana White said is better than all the other champions.''
Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below (4:09):
Belal Muhammad aims to be UFC double champion
Belal Muhammad won the welterweight title by unanimous decision against Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC 304 last month. Muhammad recently claimed that he is just two wins away from being able to pursue his dream of double champion, even if he is yet to defend his title.
The reigning welterweight champion made the following statement to Grind City Media:
''I've already beat so many top contenders. You could say Shavkat is next but is he truly deserving to be next? Is Usman truly deserving to be next? Like, there's not really a clear No. 1 contender if you're really thinking about it...I got like maybe two fights and then I can start talking about double champ status because I already beat all these guys in the top-ten."
Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below: