There’s a saying that blood is thicker than water—but that’s not the full version. The complete phrase goes: “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” A perfect example of this? The bond between Islam Makhachev and Belal Muhammad. Despite not being related by blood, their friendship and mutual respect run so deep that Muhammad has made it clear he would rather move up to middleweight than fight Makhachev at welterweight.
For months, the 155lbs kingpin has expressed his desire to become a two-division champion, but moving down to featherweight isn’t realistic. That leaves welterweight as his next target. However, with Muhammad holding the 170lbs strap and being one of Makhachev’s closest training partners, neither of them is interested in a title fight against each other.
During a recent interview with Barstool Chicago, Muhammad addressed the situation while also taking shots at the UFC 312 main event and the middleweight division. “185 is probably the easiest weight class, besides Khamzat. When you look at that main event, you’re like, ‘Strickland and du Plessis suck.’”
Muhammad’s statement about UFC 312’s headliner may be polarising. However, his recognition of Khamzat Chimaev as the middleweight division’s boogeyman is rightly justified. Like a Chechen storm rolling through the 170lbs and now the 185lbs ranks, Chimaev has become a nightmare to deal with. ‘Borz’ hunts with a terrifying blend of wrestling savagery and knockout power, no longer drained by brutal weight cuts at 170. Each fight shows the same story: opponents break while Chimaev smiles, making elite fighters look like they stumbled into a grizzly’s den.
Moreover, the welterweight champion also made it clear that fighting Makhachev was never on the table. “I would never fight Islam [Makhachev] because that’s different for me and him. We’ve trained together. When you’re sweating with somebody and you’re bleeding with somebody and you train with somebody like that, it’s just a different relationship. It wouldn’t be about money for me or him I don’t assume. So, I would never want to do that. They’ve helped me so much.”
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JULY 27: Belal Muhammad reacts after his victory against Leon Edwards of Jamaica in the UFC welterweight championship bout during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 27, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
In the process, Muhammad disrespected the middleweight division, including reigning champ Dricus Du Plessis, suggesting the competition there is lacking. He also pointed out that training with bigger fighters has given him insight into their strength—and he wasn’t impressed. And he didn’t stop there. The Palestinian-American took things even further, extending his scathing remarks to Dana White himself, making it clear he has no problem speaking his mind.
Belal Muhammad gives a piece of his mind to the UFC CEO
Belal Muhammad was originally set to defend his welterweight title against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, but a bone infection forced him to withdraw. Despite his impressive 24-3 record, Muhammad feels he doesn’t receive the same level of recognition and motivation from UFC CEO Dana White as other contenders do.
In particular, Muhammad believes White downplayed his dominant victory over Leon Edwards, brushing it off by saying, “Well, it wasn’t a barn burner.” Meanwhile, he pointed out that White was still full of praise for Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis, despite what Muhammad considered a lackluster fight at UFC 312.
The 170lbs stated, “I walked through them. Then you’ll see Strickland this weekend not do anything, and Dana White’s like, ‘Man, he’s so tough, so professional.’ Being in the cage is way different. Even when he broke his nose, he manned up. I was like, ‘Bro, that was the worst title fight I’ve ever seen in my life. Worst title challenger performance, and you’re trying to put him on a pedestal. I’m like, ‘Bro, get out of here with that.’”
Muhammad also claimed that White’s attitude toward him shifted dramatically after realizing the welterweight champ’s growing popularity. According to Muhammad, White started treating him differently when he saw Muhammad’s rankings and the 20 million views his content generated on Instagram.
With Makhachev eyeing a move to welterweight and Muhammad holding the division’s top spot, what’s next for the two friends? Will they continue to avoid each other, or will the UFC find a way to shake things up? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post “Strickland & Du Plessis Suck” – Khamzat Chimaev Deemed a Threat as UFC Champ Ridicules Sean Strickland & Dricus Du Plessis’s UFC 312 Fight appeared first on EssentiallySports.
