Khabib Nurmagomedov details one aspect of Belal Muhammad's fighting that "is the best in this division" ahead of Jack Della Maddalena fight
Belal Muhammad has trained with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team in the past, and the Dagestani may have taken notes on what makes the UFC welterweight champion special.
Muhammad enters his first title defense on an 11-fight unbeaten run, with wins over names like Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards. He now faces Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on May 10. The Australian striker steps in after injuries knocked both Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov out of their originally scheduled clash.
Ahead of UFC 315, Nurmagomedov pointed to Muhammad’s cardio as the most important tool in his arsenal. While most fans focus on his wrestling, 'The Eagle' sees his gas tank as the real weapon.
Speaking in a recent interview with Adam Zubayraev, Nurmagomedov said:
"I believe it will be very hard to beat Belal. If Maddalena or Shavkat (Rakhmonov) don't finish him early, Belal is just going to keep pressing. His endurance is really good. In fact, I think it's the most underrated aspect in MMA today. Belal's cardio is the best in this division for sure, and maybe even in all of UFC."
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments below (7:00):
Interestingly, Islam Makhachev is eyeing a move to welterweight, but that plan seemingly stalls if Muhammad remains champion of the division. The two camps are close, and Nurmagomedov won’t push for a fight between friends.
Ilia Topuria fires back at Khabib Nurmagomedov's recent comments
Ilia Topuria doesn't want to wait for his chance, and he’s aiming straight for Islam Makhachev. After vacating his featherweight title and knocking out divisional legends Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, Topuria sees himself as the next challenger for the 155-pound throne.
However, Khabib Nurmagomedov has other plans, pushing for Arman Tsarukyan to get the shot. Speaking in an interview with Adam Zubayraev, Nurmagomedov said:
“I think Arman is a more serious fighter than Topuria. Topuria is a good fighter at 145 but we haven’t seen him at 155. I believe Arman is more competitive for Islam than Topuria. ...I don’t know what kind of agreements Topuria and the UFC had, but from Islam’s side, he already gave two title shots to 145 champions. Both times Islam won."
Topuria fired back on X, claiming Nurmagomedov is shielding his teammate from danger. He wrote:
"Khabib knows I’m the one to take the belt from Islam. Only reason he doesn’t want Islam to fight me."
Check out Ilia Topuria's X post below: