UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad will seemingly have to spring an upset if he’s to stall Shavkat Rakhmonov’s title ambitions.
The schedule for the last quarter of 2024 is beginning to be finalized, and UFC CEO Dana White recently took to social media to reveal two championship headliners for the final pay-per-view of the year, UFC 310 on Dec. 7.
Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena will play host as both the welterweight and flyweight belts get put on the line. And in regard to the former, Muhammad will be making his very first defense five months on from a dominant display to win the crown in Manchester.
If he’s to begin his ascent to a place in the divisional GOAT discussion, Muhammad must first retain the belt at the expense of an undefeated phenom in Rakhmonov.
“Remember the Name” has long been counted out, and his emphatic performance to unseat Leon Edwards from the throne has seemingly done little to alter his status as a perennial underdog.
Fans React To UFC 310 Odds As Muhammad Gets Underdog Status vs. Rakhmonov
Prior to confirmation of their fight later this year, Rakhmonov opened as a -265 favorite on BetOnline.ag to make +225 underdog Muhammad’s reign a quick one.
Fight fans reacted to those odds — which have since shifted to -205 on the challenger’s side and +175 for the champ — after the bout was announced as the UFC 310 headliner this past weekend.
Many expressed surprise at Muhammad’s line, with some branding it “disrespectful” and others questioning when the market will “learn.”
