Belal Muhammad would rather move up in weight than fight Islam Makhachev.
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Belal Muhammad would rather move up in weight than fight
Islam Makhachev.
Like many
UFC champs, Muhammad and Makhachev have recently expressed double-champ aspirations. However, Makhachev’s primary hindrance is Muhammad, as he is a good friend and training partner of the welterweight champ.
Muhammad also recently clarified that he isn’t willing to welcome Makhachev to welterweight under any circumstance. Muhammad would rather move up to middleweight and let the lightweight champ climb to 170 pounds. While Makhachev has defended his lightweight strap four times, Muhammad is yet to defend his welterweight belt. However, “Remember the Name” argues that he has cleared out almost the entire division on his long route to title contention.
Muhammad also took a dig at the middleweight division, downplaying champ
Dricus Du Plessis and former title holder
Sean Strickland. According to Muhammad, 185 pounds is the easiest weight class with the exception of
Khamzat Chimaev, who is expected to be the next title challenger.
“I would never fight Islam [Makhachev] because that's different for me and him,” Muhammad recently told
Barstool Chicago. “We’ve trained together. When you're sweating with somebody and you're bleeding with somebody and you train with somebody like that, it's just a different relationship. It wouldn't be about money for me or for him, I don't assume. So, I would never want to do that. They've helped me so much. I would rather go up to 185 [pounds] and just let him take 170 [pounds] if that's the case. Since I've already had to fight my way up to 170 and I've beaten five Top 10 guys, I'm two fights away from being able to challenge at 185 and saying, yeah, I want to be double champ… I train with bigger guys, so I've felt their strength… I think 185 is probably the easiest weight class besides Khamzat. Like when you look at that main event [at
UFC 312] — bro, Strickland and Du Plessis suck.”
Muhammad hasn’t defended the title since winning it with a dominant decision win over
Leon Edwards at
UFC 304 in July 2024. However, the 36-year-old is riding an 11-fight unbeaten streak. Meanwhile, Makhachev hasn’t lost since 2015 and has wiped out almost the entire lightweight division during his stellar championship reign.
