UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad is scheduled to defend his title against Australian challenger Jack Della Maddalena. Their much-awaited showdown will headline the UFC 315 event on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Montreal, Canada.
Muhammad recently opened up about his alleged altercation with ex-UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman, who’s set to fight Joaquin Buckley on June 14, 2025.
What Happened Between Belal Muhammad and Kamaru Usman?
Muhammad and Usman’s feud reached a crescendo during an alleged altercation in 2024. Muhammad was a guest on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast, which Usman and former UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo host.
For months, Muhammad, Usman, and Cejudo have hinted that a war of words escalated into a physical clash between the two welterweights, which prevented them from finishing filming the episode or releasing it.
Fans kept asking the hosts to post the footage of the alleged brawl.
During a recent conversation with the Nelk Boys’ Kyle Forgeard on the “Full Send Podcast,” Muhammad recounted the incident. He claimed the episode’s footage wasn’t released because he made Usman “cry” on the podcast.
“Remember The Name” insinuated that Usman was aggressive and reminded him that he, too, was once the welterweight champion.
Muhammad highlighted that Usman wasn’t the champion anymore, isn’t in the title mix, and is on a losing streak. He seemingly alluded to Usman’s head kick knockout defeat against Leon Edwards in 2022.
Belal Muhammad explains what happened between him and Kamaru Usman on the podcast:
"He was like 'anything you do I do better than you'. And then I was like 'but you didn't take the head kick better than me'.
And I think that just triggered him. He was like 'I don't play these… pic.twitter.com/osX5ztIFJg
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 6, 2025
For context, Muhammad outpointed Edwards in their rematch in 2024. He believes that the head kick remark triggered Usman.
Muhammad explained, “I was like, ‘I’m the champion now.’ But he just couldn’t give me my props, right? It was just one of those, where you’re like, ‘But anything you do, I do better than you.’ And then I was like, ‘But you didn’t take the head kick better than me.’ And I think that just triggered him, where he was just like, ‘I don’t play these games, man. It’s on sight when people talk like that.'”
The 36-year-old said he told Usman they were right before one another. The welterweight kingpin underscored that Ali Abdelaziz manages both him and Usman, alluding that it facilitated that podcast meeting.
Muhammad added, “When he [Ali Abdelaziz] told me to go do the podcast, I was like, ‘Are you sure?’ He was like, ‘Oh, brother, it’s gonna be professional.'”
Muhammad added that they got into an altercation, and Cejudo had to intervene. “Henry Cejudo twisted his ankle, had to break it up.”
When asked if they truly got into a physical altercation, Muhammad replied, “Yeah … But like I said, they had the footage. Maybe he’s waiting to edit it.”
Cejudo’s account reflected Muhammad’s. In an interview with Mike Bohn last month, “Triple C” said, “I almost got kicked, bro. Punches were thrown… It was definitely Rated-R.”
Speaking to ESPN MMA, Usman recently warned that the UFC might need additional security personnel to prevent a potential fight if he runs into Muhammad in person backstage at a UFC event.