Belal Muhammad gives four-word reaction to Alexander Volkanovski's outburst on social media
The feud between Belal Muhammad and Alexander Volkanovski has witnessed both veteran fighters trade barbs on social media and in interviews. Muhammad has now issued a concise response to 'The Great' after his recent comments.
Muhammad recently defeated the UK's Leon Edwards via unanimous decision to become the new UFC welterweight champion at UFC 304 (July 27, 2024).
Speaking to The Mac Life before UFC 304, Volkanovski had lightheartedly suggested that he'd step in on short notice to fight for the welterweight title if Edwards or Muhammad pulled out. He expressed his respect for both and indicated that Edwards was more skilled than Muhammad.
Volkanovski further opined that Muhammad was a good matchup for him "stylistically." Besides, in an interview with Jose Youngs, the Australian MMA legend recalled a weird miscommunication. Apparently, 'The Great' and Muhammad were shooting fight reaction content, and the UFC production teams gave both fighters each other's numbers.
Volkanovski noted that after he'd unintentionally missed Muhammad's call, the American jibed at him on X by picking his (Volkanovski's) longtime rival Max Holloway to "flog" him in a fight.
Moreover, Volkanovski claimed that he later called Muhammad, and the latter implied that he was simply joking on social media. 'The Great' then came across Muhammad's tweets and was surprised. Regardless, Volkanovski noted that he had no "malice" toward the welterweight.
Intriguingly, Volkanovski and UFC welterweight contender Michael 'Venom' Page were octagon-side for the Edwards-Muhammad fight at UFC 304 and were seemingly shocked to see Muhammad win. Video footage of their reactions was posted by ESPN on Instagram. Muhammad took to the comments section of the post and jabbed at them over the same.
Furthermore, on the 'Remember the Show' podcast after UFC 304, Muhammad alluded to Volkanovski's comments about his being a good stylistic matchup for him. The newly-crowned welterweight kingpin aimed at Volkanovski and emphatically stated:
"Shut up, bro. I'll smack the hell out of you."
Alexander Volkanovski, who's generally known to refrain from engaging in trash talk, took to X and responded by lambasting Belal Muhammad. Volkanovski wrote:
"@bullyb170 you have every reason to hate on what I said about you being a good stylistic match up for me but I truly believe that, even after your last fight, you didn't show me anything different. You still mad because I accidentally missed your call...pathetic! Say "shut up, I'll smack the sh** out of you" to my face and see what happens."
Not one to be outdone, Belal Muhammad fired back at 'The Great' with a four-word response. Muhammad wrote:
"Well come find out"
Belal Muhammad vs. Alexander Volkanovski: Could the war of words culminate in a fight?
Belal Muhammad has primarily competed in the welterweight division as a professional MMA fighter. On the other hand, Alexander Volkanovski has fought in the featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight divisions. That said, most of Volkanovski's success has come at featherweight.
Following Muhammad's victory over Leon Edwards at UFC 304, UFC CEO Dana White opined that the promotion would book them against separate opponents next. Ergo, the Muhammad-Edwards trilogy is currently off the table. Speculation has abounded that Muhammad could be booked to defend his title against Shavkat Rakhmonov or Kamaru Usman next.
As for Volkanovski, he lost his UFC featherweight title via second-round KO against Ilia Topuria in Feb. 2024. 'The Great' subsequently suggested that he won't rush back to competition, having suffered consecutive knockout defeats. Volkanovski's next opponent and comeback date haven't been officially announced.
Their ongoing war of words notwithstanding, a potential Belal Muhammad-Alexander Volkanovski clash at welterweight appears unlikely to materialize anytime soon.