"You’re going to try to drug me or something" - Belal Muhammad takes hilarious dig at Laura Sanko for being 'team Shavkat Rakhmonov'
Belal Muhammad made a light-hearted allegation about Laura Sanko during his appearance on UFC 310's 'Weigh-In Show'. Muhammad jokingly cited Sanko's admiration for Shavkat Rakhmonov as her motive for potentially harming him.
Rakhmonov was initially slated to contest Muhammad's 170-pound belt, and they were set to headline UFC 310 this weekend. However, the current UFC welterweight champion was diagnosed with a bone infection, forcing him to pull out of the fight, leaving Rakhmonov without an opponent for the pay-per-view.
Following 'Nomad's' call-outs to top contenders in the division, like Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, No.7-ranked Ian Machado Garry ultimately stepped up. The Rakhmonov vs. Garry matchup will now serve as UFC 310's co-main event.
Daniel Cormier accompanied Sanko and Muhammad for the UFC 310 'Weigh-In Show'. At a point in the show, Sanko offered Muhammad a non-alcoholic drink, but 'DC' jokingly exclaimed that it contained alcohol, which earned him a thanks from the reigning UFC champion.
Sanko refuted Cormier's words and stressed her honesty about the drink being non-alcoholic, with Muhammad being a devout Muslim. In jest, Muhammad claimed Sanko might try to "drug" him as he views her as a member of ''team Shavkat."
Muhammad said:
"Well, he [Cormier] had my back. You [Sanko] are team Shavkat [on Rakhmonov's side], so I don't know if you're trying to drug me or something like that."
The final face-off between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry got heated
Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry notably trained together two years ago, and they now find themselves squaring off with a shot at UFC gold on the line.
While the build-up to the fight has been amicable, and the two fighters clearly have mutual respect for one another, their history has created some underlying tension. These were back-and-forth comments about how their past training sessions played out, with Rakhmonov seemingly holding the grappling edge at the time.
Notably, Garry left KillCliff FC and switched to Chute Box in Brazil, and he will be eager to show his improvements at UFC 310. Interestingly, the always-stoic Rakhmonov seemed emotionally charged at the ceremonial weigh-ins as the two faced off.