Belal Muhammad sets sights on Kamaru Usman to settle unfinished business, confident October bout leads to UFC gold
Former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad said he wants to earn his way back to the title by fighting Kamaru Usman in October.
Muhammad lost his title in a unanimous decision defeat to newly minted champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315. On the other hand, Usman is on a three-fight skid. He suffered a majority decision loss against undefeated fighter Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in 2023 and hasn't competed since.
'Remember the Name' believes that a victory against the former welterweight kingpin would surge him into title contention. He said that the clash against Usman is bout to happen, provided that 'The Nigerian Nightmare' gets past Joaquin Buckley in his upcoming fight.
"I'm going to be the guy that gets the belt again. I'm one fight away from winning the belt. I feel like it will be Kamaru [next] if he gets past Buckley. Keep continuing to do what they think I can't do."
Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below:
UFC commentator announces Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov fight
During a recent episode of The Anik and Florian Podcast, UFC commentator Jon Anik broke the news of a bout in October between Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Rakhmonov has remained inactive since his unanimous decision victory against the then-undefeated Ian Garry at UFC 310 last year. He was on the verge of getting his highly awaited title shot against Muhammad at UFC 315; however, an injury ruled him out of the bout, and 'Remember the Name' ended up facing Australia's Jack Della Maddalena instead.
Anik said he was glad Muhammad has a UFC championship belt at home, and he's looking forward to seeing what Rakhmonov can do against him in October.
"I'm glad that he has an undisputed UFC welterweight championship belt at home, and I'm glad that he's married to the game. We will see what Shavkat Rakhmonov has for him in October. Belal versus Shavkat in October. There's your breaking news."
Check out Jon Anik's comments below: