Watching your rival stumble on your birthday might seem like the perfect gift to many. But for former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, that’s not the case. Although he publicly feuded with Belal Muhammad, who recently lost a devastating title fight to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ stated he did not celebrate the outcome. Usman and Muhammad once shared mutual respect, but their relationship took a turn during an appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, co-hosted by Usman and Henry Cejudo.
The two welterweights clashed live on air, trading barbs over who is better and who holds more weight in the sport. Even so, as Kamaru Usman celebrated his 38th birthday, he showed nothing but maturity. In the latest Pound 4 Pound episode, Henry Cejudo jokingly asked him if Belal Muhammad’s loss felt like a birthday gift. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’s response was both classy and revealing:
“Listen, no. People get so invested in this game to where they think that I’m supposed to be happy because he lost. Why would I be happy because he lost? I hadn’t fought him yet, you know? It wasn’t that—um, yes, me and him weren’t… like, we weren’t the best of friends, I’ll tell you that for sure. But that doesn’t mean I’m happy that he lost.”
He continued, “As a former champion, as a former pound-for-pound top dog—not just in the rankings but also in terms of selling pay-per-views—I understand what this game is. And listen, as much as we didn’t like each other, it was still something that people wanted to see. It was something that was on the cusp of potentially happening. So no, I’m not excited that he lost. I’m not disappointed. I’m indifferent, you know?”
MMA: UFC 315 – Muhammad v Della Maddalena May 10, 2025 Montreal, Quebec, CANADA Belal Muhammad red gloves fights Jack Della Maddalena blue gloves during UFC 315 at Bell Centre. Montreal Bell Centre Quebec CANADA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xEricxBoltex 20250510_jhp_bb5_0341
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