UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has made it clear — he’s not stepping into the Octagon with lightweight king Islam Makhachev, no matter the stakes. Following Islam Makhachev’s dominant title defense against Renato Moicano at UFC 311, talk quickly turned to the Dagestani star’s next move.
The reigning lightweight champion has teased a shift to the welterweight division, where Muhammad currently reigns supreme. But despite the tantalizing prospect of a champion vs. champion clash, both fighters have firmly shut the door on that possibility.
Belal Muhammad Rules Out Islam Makhachev Super Fight
Islam Makhachev and Belal Muhammad’s loyalty runs deep. Both have trained under the guidance of UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, who remains a pivotal figure in their camps.
According to Muhammad, that brotherhood outweighs any potential title bout.
“I wouldn’t fight him,” Muhammad said in an interview with Submission Radio. “Their team – they have done so much for me. They’ve helped me so much that it wouldn’t be worth it to fight those guys. There’s too much respect and loyalty on my end.”
While Muhammad has no interest in clashing with Makhachev, he didn’t hesitate to share his thoughts on a potential showdown between the UFC Lightweight Champion and Ilia Topuria.
Topuria, the undefeated featherweight champion, has been floated as a possible next opponent for Makhachev. But Muhammad believes the Georgian-Spaniard hasn’t earned that shot yet. “Ilia needs to fight somebody before he gets that title shot,” he said. “It’s not really worth it for Islam to fight another (featherweight).”
Despite that, Muhammad didn’t hold back with his prediction. “I think he (Makhachev) would finish Topuria probably by the second round,” he stated confidently.
Makhachev’s team has yet to commit to the next move, but if the Topuria fight materializes, “Remember The Name” sees a quick and decisive win for his teammate.
In the meantime, the welterweight champion is set to defend his title against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC.
Belal Muhammad wants a potential Khamzat Chimaev Fight at Some Point
While Belal Muhammad has shut the door on Islam Makhachev, he remains open to other marquee matchups, most notably, Khamzat Chimaev. Despite Chimaev now competing primarily at middleweight, Muhammad has long expressed interest in testing himself against the Chechen standout.
“I’ve called out Khamzat when he was at 170 (pounds),” Muhammad revealed. “Like that was one of those fights that I was always looking for. I’m always looking for the toughest challenge, the best fight… Stylistically, I think I match up very well with him and a guy like him.”
Chimaev’s explosive first-round approach doesn’t worry the welterweight champ either. Muhammad believes his cardio and tactical awareness could turn the tide in the championship rounds.
“He (Chimaev) goes so hard in the first round and comes out like a freaking missile… It’s a lot of guys that can’t get through it, it’s hard. But for me, it’s just taking him to the later rounds, and then you start picking it up in the later rounds, start drowning him in the later rounds, and then we see where he’s at in the fourth and fifth round.”
Chimaev, who has fought and won at both welterweight and middleweight, remains one of the most dangerous men on the UFC roster. With Muhammad showing interest in moving up to 185, the long-discussed fight might still materialize.