Kamaru Usman doesn’t appear to have any interest in accepting Belal Muhammad’s challenge for a potential matchup.
The former UFC welterweight champion Usman (21-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC) returned to the win column for the first time since 2021, earning a five-round unanimous decision over Joaquin Buckley in the main event at UFC Atlanta on Saturday night.
Following the bout, Belal Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC)—who recently lost the welterweight title in his first defense against Jack Della Maddalena—was quick to call for a fight with “The Nigerian Nightmare.” However, Usman doesn’t seem particularly interested in entertaining the idea.
"We have history, we've been going back and forth”, Muhammad said in a video posted to his YouTube channel. “It's a clear No. 1 contender fight. I'm still the No. 1 contender. He can pick the time, date, and place. I'll be ready. Hopefully, the UFC makes it."
Muhammad was referencing a rumored falling-out between the two after he appeared on Usman’s podcast, Pound4Pound, earlier this year. “Remember the Name” likely views a win over Usman as a way to jumpstart his path back to title contention—but Usman dismissed the idea, taking a subtle jab at Muhammad’s nickname in the process.
"Who is it?" Usman responded when asked at a post-fight news conference about Muhammad's callout. "Who is that? Next."
There’s been widespread speculation that newly crowned UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena will face Islam Makhachev next, following Makhachev’s decision to vacate his lightweight title and move up to 170 pounds. If that matchup is made official, Kamaru Usman has made it clear he wants to be first in line to face the winner.
"Let's be honest, I'm the biggest in the division," Usman said. "This is about entertainment. The UFC is an entertainment company. You want to make the biggest fight. It's going to be the winner of JDM and Islam. If Islam pulls that one out, former pound-for-pound, current pound-for-pound – who doesn't pay for that?"
"JDM's no slouch," he continued. "I've said that in his last fight, and he went out there and showed you guys, don't look past him. He's very, very talented. Islam is extremely talented. I love Islam. I think him coming in makes the division a lot more interesting. If he's able to get in there and wrestle that belt away from JDM, former pound-for-pound, current pound-for-pound, I mean, I think everyone wants to watch that."
