Belal
Muhammad claims to have the strategy to beat Dricus Du
Plessis.
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Muhammad is the latest of several
UFC champs who are looking to move up a weight class to fulfil
double-champ aspirations. “Remember the Name” is teasing a move up
to middleweight to challenge Du Plessis, who recently defended his
title with a dominant decision over Sean
Strickland at UFC 312
last weekend.
According to Muhammad, he’ll beat “Stillknocks” in every aspect of
the game for the first two rounds, leaving him frustrated by the
third round. When Du Plessis attempts to implement his awkward
style, Muhammad plans on taking his back and submitting him in the
third frame.
“I’d come out him with a 1-2, then he’d wing an overhand. I’ll duck
it, change levels and take him down. Then he’d shrimp and get the
underhook to get out, but he’ll be too weak to get up, so then I’ll
hit him with ground-and-pound for the rest of Round 1,” Muhammad
wrote on social media. “Round 2 starts, and I come out with a
flying knee. He shells up then I hit him with the Zabit back trip,
then point and laugh at him (this makes him mad). He gets up and
charges foward winging punches at me. I slide out of the way with
ease, then hit him with a 1-2. Then he gets frustrated, shoots for
a takedown. I defend with ease but now he’s tired and stays on his
knees. I kick him to the body while he’s on the ground. End of
round 2…
“Round 3 starts and he’s distraught, He can’t hit me, he can’t take
me down, so then he tries spinning stuff. I back up at the right
time and end up taking his back. He lets me under chin out of
frustration then I put him to sleep… and new double champ.”
Muhammad is just the latest UFC champion to tease a move up in
weight in hopes of two-division gold. Muhammad, who won the
welterweight strap with a unanimous decision win over Leon
Edwards at UFC 304 last year, has yet to make his first title
defense.
Meanwhile, featherweight champ Ilia
Topuria is eyeing a move to lightweight after defending his
title just once. While Islam
Makhachev might have a more legitimate case to make for a move
up after four title defenses at lightweight, he is loathe to
challenge Muhammad as the two are close.
Du Plessis also called out light heavyweight champ Alex
Pereira after his win over Strickland at UFC 312. And Pereira,
who also has four title defenses, is eyeing a superfight against
heavyweight champ Jon Jones.
I’d come out him with a 1-2 then he’d wing
an overhand I’ll duck it change levels and take him down then he’d
shrimp and get the underhook to get out but he’ll be to weak to get
up so then I’ll hit him with ground and pound for the rest of round
1. Round 2 starts and I come out… https://t.co/vL07RWaPKT— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170)
February 11, 2025