Belal Muhammad has been as vocal as he can be since winning the UFC welterweight championship against Leon Edwards at UFC 304. His ten-fight unbeaten streak in the division finally led to him winning gold, and he’s now firing back at all his doubters.
As impressive as Muhammad was in his last fight, fans are now eager to see him defend his belt. From Sean Brady to Kamaru Usman to Shavkat Rakhmonov, the division is stacked with contenders as well.
While admitting to Rakhmonov most likely being his next opponent, Muhammad has laid down the perfect plan for the rest of the top UFC welterweights….
Belal Muhammad Reveals How Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards, Ian Garry, and Jack Dalla Maddalena Can Enter The UFC Welterweight Title Picture
Muhammad discussed the current state of the UFC welterweight division in the Believe You Me podcast by Michael Bisping on YouTube. Although he thinks that Rakhmonov’s win over Stephen Thompson doesn’t make him a clear contender, he suggested the UFC wouldn’t want to lose on a potential star by testing him once again before the title shot.
So, with Rakhmonov bagging the next title shot in the division, Muhammad suggested these fights for other top contenders:
“If I’m matchmaker, I’m looking at Sean Brady versus Usman. And I’m looking at Ian Garry against Leon. And you know, Jack Della, I think he’s out, he’s injured, but even him against, because he’s not even proven himself. He was getting beat by Gilbert Burns until he caught Gilbert Burns at the last minute, so I would give him another test. Maybe, like an MVP.”
Brady is coming off a dominant win over Gilbert Burns and beating a former champion like Usman would legitimize his title shot. Ian Garry could build a similar claim to the title by beating Edwards, considering not many were convinced by his win over Michael ‘Venom’ Page.
Last, but not least, Jack Della Maddalena took out Burns after being dominated for two rounds. He can have an illustrious striking matchup with MVP, who would want to bounce back from his loss as well.
It’s hard to assume whether the UFC will finalize any of these matchups, but the kingpin has his eyes set on all the potential threats to his title.
