Fans reacted after a once dominant UFC champion was asked about putting together a highly anticipated grudge match.
Next month is set to be massive for the welterweight division, with several matchups that could reshape the top of the rankings.
Islam Makhachev is moving up a division to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the 170 pound gold in the main event of UFC 322 in New York.
The clash between Sean Brady and Michael Morales on the same night isn’t the only bout that will impact the rankings significantly.
Belal Muhammad is set to return at UFC Qatar, but he isn’t fighting the opponent that many wanted to see him face off with.
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Kamaru Usman explains why fighting Belal Muhammad isn’t of interest to him
At 38 years old, Kamaru Usman has high hopes for how he wants to close out his career.
The former UFC welterweight champion defeated Joaquin Buckley in June to earn his first win since November of 2021.
While Belal Muhammad complimented Usman after the win, there has been a lot of tension between the two former champs for some time.
Their feud seemingly dates back to a podcast episode that was recorded but never released where they supposedly got into a heated physical altercation with one another.
Usman, who is in attendance for UFC 321 fight week, recently took part in a fan Q&A event with several other fighters on the roster.
When ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ was asked why he isn’t fighting Muhammad in place of Ian Machado Garry next month, he argued that beating his rival wouldn’t do anything for him in wanting to pursue the title.
“We didn’t have a lot of back and forth, it was just a lot coming from him. I just think he’s a dork and what you do with a dork is ignore them… Right now Belal is ranked #1, and I’m below him. I’m looking at the title. I’ve been where he hasn’t been.
“Yes, of course he’s been a champion but we saw what happened when it was time to defend. I have nothing to gain from fighting Belal Muhammad. He has all to get, that’s why he’s the one calling me out… I’m not here to waste time… If I had the title and he’s the next guy, I would kick his head in.”
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Fans post confused reactions to Kamaru Usman’s comments
When reacting to Kamaru Usman’s comments, fans were left confused by his reasoning.
‘Just say u don’t want the smoke bro,’ wrote one fan, while another stated, ‘Dude slapped you on a podcast and he’s not worth fighting.’
With comments like, ‘This makes zero sense lol,’ many agreed that Belal Muhammad is an opponent that would make a lot of sense for Usman.
‘Nothing gets you closer to fighting for the belt than beating him,’ responded one commenter, with another sharing a similar message of, ‘Bro is openly ducking Belal lol idk why, he matches up well with Belal.’
Another user claimed to ‘hate this mentality,’ referencing fighters who have earned their shots and aren’t ‘entitled like Usman’.