Every king dreams of expanding his empire. But what happens when a friend stands guard at the gates? Islam Makhachev, the Dagestani king of the lightweight division, has set his sights on a new mission. Secure a second crown at welterweight. But that road has a blockade. And its name? Belal Muhammad.
It wasn’t long ago that Muhammad and Islam were exchanging brotherly respect and training sessions. They’re teammates under Khabib Nurmagomedov’s watchful eye, after all. But things shift when titles enter the picture. After de-throning Leon Edwards at UFC 304, Muhammad is now gearing up to defend his own kingdom against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315. But ‘Remember the Name’, who finally has gold around his waist, has no intention of being the stepping stone for Makhachev’s ambitions. In fact, he’s already sending out warnings!
Belal Muhammad shuts the door for Islam Makhachev’s welterweight move with a bold prediction for UFC 315
On a recent episode of the ‘Anik and Florian Podcast’, the UFC commentator broached the question delicately, reminding Belal Muhammad of the respect he had once voiced for the Dagestani champion and inquired, “…you talk about his humility and just how great he was. You know? And now it seems like maybe there’s some sort of hold up. Have you known him to be desirous of becoming a double champion prior, maybe more than trying to go down as, like, the greatest lightweight champ of all time?”
Muhammad didn’t dodge the question at all. In his trademark straightforward manner, he responded by stating, “Yeah. I mean, I’ve… we’ve talked about it. He said, ‘Oh man, you ruined my plans.’ It’s one of those things like, ‘Oh, you won the belt, you ruined my plans.’ There are people now, they’re waiting to see what happens this weekend.”
With all eyes on UFC 315 and his upcoming title defense, many voices in the MMA sphere feel as if Muhammad losing the title to Della Maddalena would be the ideal move in this situation. Makhachev won’t have to fight a teammate, and the UFC can go ahead and start matchmaking for his ‘champ-champ’ aspirations.
BELAL MUHAMMAD SUGGESTS THAT ISLAM MAKHACHEV SIGN A FIGHT AND START CAMP AS HE VOWS NOT TO LEAVE CANADA WITHOUT THE BELT
“He said, ‘Oh man, you ruined my plans.’ It’s one of those things like, ‘Oh, you won the belt, you ruined my plans.’ There are people now, they’re… pic.twitter.com/7P23zr5ds4
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) May 5, 2025
But if Islam Makhachev’s heart is set on gold beyond 155 pounds, he might need to look higher than welterweight, or even stay in his division as ‘Remember the Name’ further shared, “But I’ll tell him, like, get your fight signed because I’m not leaving Montreal without the belt. I’m still going to be the champ, so start your camp right now — whoever you have in line, whoever you have in the story, you’re good.”
So, where does this leave Makhachev? The Dagestani still has challengers at lightweight, Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan, maybe even Paddy Pimblett. And of course, Ilia Topuria, the former featherweight king who is on his own quest for another belt and is adamant on challenging the Dagestani throne. But before anyone climbs that mountain, the ground beneath them has to settle.
Lightweight division’s fate hangs in the balance with UFC 315’s outcome, according to Arman Tsarukyan
Arman Tsarukyan knows the chaos that is the lightweight division all too well. Just three months ago, he stood at the doorstep of destiny, ready to avenge his 2019 loss to Makhachev and maybe snatch the lightweight crown. Then fate struck. A back injury pulled him out the day before the fight. And just like that, the title shot slipped through his fingers.
Now? He’s in limbo as he confessed on the ‘JAXXON Podcast’, “So [Charles] Oliveira wants to fight for the title, [Ilia] Topuria wants to fight, everybody wants to fight for the title and when the title fight is booked, then I’m going to get the fight.”
As mentioned above, the answer to this dilemma may lie in the outcome of UFC 315. Makhachev won’t fight Belal Muhammad, but if the challenger snatches the belt? The door to 170 swings wide open. Should Makhachev jump to welterweight, the lightweight crown might be left behind, or put on ice. That’s when Tsarukyan believes the picture clears.
He further shared, “Depends, if Islam is going to move to 170 [pounds], yeah, they’ve got to give me the interim title with somebody.”
So here we are, stuck in a championship stalemate with kings at every corner of the board. Islam Makhachev wants to wear two crowns, but Belal Muhammad isn’t stepping aside just yet. Ilia Topuria circles like a hawk, ready to swoop in and seize his shot. And Arman Tsarukyan? He believes he is the final boss for the Dagestani champion at lightweight before he goes for ‘champ-champ’ status!
All eyes now shift to UFC 315. Will Belal Muhammad hold the gate shut, or will Jack Della Maddalena break it open and give Makhachev the chance at welterweight glory? And if the belt gets vacated by the lightweight king, who rises in the chaos, Tsarukyan, Topuria, or Oliveira? Let us know in the comments below!
The post Belal Muhammad Shatters Islam Makhachev’s Double Champ Dreams With Bold Verdict appeared first on EssentiallySports.
