Ilia Topuria makes alarming prediction for "fake champion" Belal Muhammad's welterweight future, says Islam Makhachev is leagues apart
A new rivalry between Ilia Topuria and Belal Muhammad has been escalating despite competing in different weight classes. The two have continued to trade barbs, as seen in Topuria's most recent social media tirade, in which he predicted Muhammad's future.
In his recent Instagram live, Topuria slammed Muhammad and claimed that former champion Kamaru Usman would reclaim his title, saying:
"Belal vs. Shavkat? Shavkat. Belal, he's a fake champion. I think right now in the welterweight division, the one who will come back and will take the belt again it's Kamaru Usman, in my opinion. Easy work for Usman."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (via Championship Rounds on X):
Topuria also expressed his wish to take on Islam Makhachev, while taking another dig at Muhammad.
"[Islam] is a tough guy, he's a good champion. He's one of the few right now that really deserves the place he has and that's why I would like to share the octagon with him. He's not like Belal [Muhammad]… please."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below:
This came after Muhammad condemned Topuria for his remarks regarding Makhachev. The reigning featherweight champion suggested that if he met the Dagestani fighter on the street, he would be liable for paying his medical bills, which upset Muhammad, who warned Topuria about his comments.
Along with Muhammad, Topuria has been at odds with his next opponent Max Holloway, against whom he will put his featherweight title on the line at UFC 308. The Spaniard captured the UFC gold at UFC 298 earlier this year with an impressive knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski.
Meanwhile, Muhammad is set to face Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, which would mark his first title defense after winning it from Leon Edwards at UFC 305.
Belal Muhammad hits back at Ilia Topuria for calling him a "fake champion"
Ilia Topuria recently predicted on his Instagram Live that Belal Muhammad would lose against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. That infuriated Muhammad, who went off against Topuria, replying to Championship Rounds' post on X. He wrote:
"Didn’t this dork just buy a fake bmf belt to pose with.. he’s starting to become the Georgian version of Colby Covington"
Toupria responded by highlighting Muhammad's initial meeting with Leon Edwards, which resulted in a no-contest. writing:
''NO FINISHES. NO KNOCKOUTS. NO KNOCKDOWNS. NO GIRLFRIEND. NO KIDS. BELAL HAS NEVER FINISHED ANY MAN OR WOMAN.”