UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) didn’t hold back when discussing some of the promotion's biggest stars, particularly in the middleweight division.
During an appearance on Barstool Chicago’s The Stretch podcast, released this past Friday, "Remember The Name" opened up about his future aspirations should he successfully defend his belt against Shavkat Rakhmonov in a highly anticipated fight later this year.
"I would never fight (UFC lightweight champion) Islam [Makhachev]," Muhammad remarked. "That's different. For me and him, it is. We've trained together. When you're sweating with somebody and you're bleeding with somebody and you're training with somebody like that, it's just a different relationship. It wouldn't be about money for me."
Muhammad Discusses Possible move To 185 lbs
Although Muhammad made it clear he wouldn't fight Makhachev, he didn’t rule out the possibility of moving up to the middleweight division for the right opportunity.
"I would rather go up to 185 and let him [Makhachev] take 170 if that's the case," Muhammad explained.
The champion also shared that he feels he’s getting closer to his next big move, predicting that with two more victories, he could be in a position to challenge for the Middleweight Championship against Dricus du Plessis or whoever holds the title at that time.
"I've beaten five Top 10 guys," Muhammad said, reflecting on his welterweight dominance. "I'm two fights away from being able to challenge [for the title] at 185 and saying, 'Hey, I want to be double-champ.'"
When asked about potential matchups at middleweight, Muhammad didn’t hold back, offering bold comments on the division’s current state.
“I think 185 is probably the easiest weight class [to fight in], besides Khamzat [Chimaev]," he stated. "Like, if you look at that [UFC 312] main event, you're like, 'Bro, Strickland and du Plessis suck.'"
It remains to be seen whether Muhammad can back up his confident remarks, but there’s no doubt that he’s setting his sights on long-term goals beyond his reign as welterweight champion.
