Ex-UFC star shares four-word reaction to wild debunked rumor about Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov being coaches of TUF next season
Recent rumors suggest that Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov will coach the impending TUF 33, which is scheduled to start on Nov. 4 and end on Dec. 18, 2025. The broadcast date for the show has not been finalized yet and an ex-UFC star has now debunked these rumors.
UPFRONT MMA on X, shared that the rumored TUF 33 coaches will be the welterweight king Muhammad and top contender Rakhmonov. The page posted the same on X with the caption:
"🚨RUMOR!! Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov will be the coaches for the next season of @UltimateFighter 🤯🤯🤯 LFG!!!! @ufc"
Check out the original post below:
American mixed martial artist Derek Brunson, who fought in the middleweight division in the UFC and holds a record of (23-9-0), commented on the same post and stated:
"Didn’t seem Logical lol."
Meanwhile, Dricus Du Plessis’ manager Daniel Rubenstein also clarified that the rumors are fake:
"lol no they won’t 🤦🏻♂️ on this BS again. Stop making sh*t up."
As stated in the official press release, the coaches for TUF 33 are yet to be decided. The showrunners at this moment are scouting for welterweight and flyweight combatants, who can be a part of the 20th anniversary of the show.
TUF 31 gained significant attention with Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor as coaches, while TUF 32 witnessed Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso as coaches.
What's next for Shavkat Rakhmonov?
No. 2-ranked welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov secured a win over Ian Garry via decision at UFC 310 and remained undefeated. He is next in line for the welterweight crown and will likely to face Belal Muhammad in 2025.
In 2024, Rakhmonov was scheduled to face Muhammad until he withdrew from the title defense because of a bone infection. However, 'Remember the Name' is back in training now and fans can expect the Kazakh phenom to square off against the American welterweight champ in 2025.
![Belal Muhammad (left) and Shavkat Rakhmonov (right) will fight in 2025 [Image courtesy: Getty Images]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/61076-17354706377267-1920.jpg)