Belal Muhammad says he would never fight
Islam Makhachev, and would rather move up to 185 and let Islam
fight for the 170 title“I think 185 is probably the easiest weight class, besides Khamzat.
Bro, Strickland and Du Plessis suck.”Advertisement
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— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
February 16, 2025
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.