Two Muslim fighters in Abu Dhabi - Belal Muhammad suggests "huge" fight against Khamzat Chimaev
Coming off a decisive win against Vicente Luque, Belal Muhammad recently took aim at some of the biggest names in the UFC's welterweight division, Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev.
While in conversation with Marc Raimondi for ESPN MMA, Muhammad offered fans some insight into his future, lobbying for potential fights against Covington and Chimaev. However, he admitted that bagging a fight against 'Chaos' may be slightly more complicated if he is tied up in a legal battle with Jorge Masvidal, owing to their altercation last month.
Muhammad asserted that an all-Muslim fight between Chimaev and himself would be a great main event matchup.
"Honestly, I think the most sense is either [Colby Covington] or [Khamzat Chimaev]. I think both of those guys make the most sense. I'm not sure if Colby's jaw's still broken from getting punched by [Jorge Masvidal], all right? We're still talking about lawyers. So if that's the case then I want to stay active and fight Khamzat. I think, man, have that in a 5-round fight either in Abu Dhabi or international fight week would be huge, to have two Muslim fighters be a headliner. That'll be amazing."
Catch Belal Muhammad's interview with Marc Raimondi below:
Belal Muhammad reacts to his move up the welterweight rankings
Belal Muhammad recently usurped his UFC Vegas 51 opponent Vicente Luque's position after recording a successful outing against the Brazilian at the UFC Apex on Saturday.
'Remember The Name' beat Luque via unanimous decision. The judges scored the contest 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 in favor of Muhammad. The 33-year-old was previously ranked No. 6 in the UFC's welterweight rankings. His recent triumph saw him break into the top five at 170 lbs. He took to Twitter to commemorate his move up the ranks.
"The climb continues"
Muhammad wasn't just gunning for a place in the top five going into his clash with Luque, he was also seeking redemption. The duo locked horns over five years ago at UFC 205, where 'Remember The Name' was knocked out by 'The Silent Assassin'.