UFC Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad already has two names in mind as he looks to make the first defence of his title before 2024 is out.
‘Remember The Name’ won Welterweight gold earlier this year when dominated Leon Edwards over 5 rounds to claim a unanimous decision win at UFC 305.
Now, a few months removed from winning the belt, the 36-year-old spoke to with MMAJunkie to discuss his next move. Since winning the title, things between himself and former Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman have been heating up and Muhammad would certainly be up for facing Usman if the opportunity presented itself. He said:
“For me, Kamaru has obviously been one of those guys that was at the top right, he was the champ. When you're the come up and you're looking at who's the champion, I'm always playing attention to everybody and I'm thinking ‘How am I going to beat him, how am I going to do it?’ And I wanted to be the guy to beat him just because Dana White said he was better than GSP and he put him on that pedestal.
“But I always knew that my style matches up well with him. So for me, when they're talking about the GOAT of the Welterweights, his name is up there. So obviously having his name on my resume would be huge for myself because I just beat the guy that beat him twice, but he's still up there.”
If not Usman, there are several other options Muhammad could explore. Although his preferred next opponent would be the likes of Usman, ‘Remember The Name’ would gladly face an up and coming prospect such as Shavkat Rakhmanov.
“Shavkat is the boogeyman that they think could be everybody.
"But I also like a back and forth of talking to, with Usman and those fights are more exciting too, just because it gives me something to make him shut up about and it gives me something to have fun with the buildup. (It’s) All respect with Shavkat obviously but yeah, for me it really doesn't even matter.
"It is just who the UFC are talking about booking and like we have a game plan for everybody. We have a style to beat all these guys. There's not one guy where I'm looking at like ‘This guy is a tough matchup for me.’ There's guys (who are) an easier matchup or a harder matchup. I think if Kamaru didn't lose that last fight to Khamzat on a weeks notice, he would be talked about and it wouldn't be like, 'Oh man, he's got a three fight losing streak.'
Now with the Welterweight strap around his waist, Muhammad has his sights set on becoming one of the best to every do it at 170lbs.
“I mean now, like, my early goal was to be the champion, right? Now, my next goal is to be the best Welterweight to ever do it. I want to be up there and cemented as one of the GOATs of the Welterweight division. When you think about it, I want my name to always be in that conversation.
In terms of legacy, Muhammad knows exactly how he will want to be remembered when all is said and done:
“Basically that I think I'm the most complete martial artist in the UFC. Where you see me go in fights and I've had to wrestle and then I’ve gotten into fights where I only had to strike and I got in fights where I had to defend takedowns. I always adjust my style to whoever I'm fighting and I could fight these guys where they're worst at and I could take these guys to where they're uncomfortable.
"I'm comfortable everywhere and I'm good everywhere. So when you’re thinking about ‘what's a complete martial artist?’ This guy could fight any way he wants to fight and he adjusts his style to whoever he's fighting. I want to be one of those guys you're thinking of because there's guys that are like specialists and I'm special everywhere.”
You can watch the full interview below:
