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Belal Muhammad, the UFC welterweight contender, is not one to back down from a challenge. In a recent interview, he made it clear that he wants to face the former champion, Kamaru Usman, in his next fight. Muhammad has been on a hot streak in the division, with four wins in his last five fights, and he believes that a victory over Usman would solidify his status as one of the top fighters in the weight class.
The welterweight division of the UFC is currently experiencing some wild competition. The current champion Leon Edwards has achieved his second consecutive victory over Kamaru Usman. He will now take against Colby Covington, who is rated #2, in his upcoming defense. A few candidates may have been left out in the cold due to the haste with which this matchup was made. Among them is Belal Muhammad.
Given that Muhammad had won eight straight bouts with his lone loss coming in a no-contest against Edwards, many people thought he was going to be next in line for a championship challenge. Muhammad is currently without even a matchup and does not have a clear road to a championship chance as a result. But he does have a strategy for getting there.
Muhammad has been steadily rising the rankings over the past few years. He is the only man other than Edwards in the top five with a winning streak of over six in the UFC. He wanted the next shot at the belt but now thinks he knows a way to be undeniably next, he wants to take out Usman. He spoke about this to Jesse on Fire on YouTube.
“I’m looking at it and I’m looking at the landscape and I’m like I do think it needs to be somebody that is considered “the guy,” he said. “I think that Kamaru, ex-champion, he beat Colby twice I think that fight makes all the sense in the world. He was a guy that people considered the GOAT from the welterweight division, I go out there and like you said starch him, beat him dominantly there’s no denying me after that right?”
Conor McGregor is one of the things that may get in the middle of Muhammad. Eventually this year, McGregor will compete against Michael Chandler at 170 pounds; if he wins, he will be eligible for a championship chance. Jorge Masvidal, who will be battling Gilbert Burns this week, has also requested the shot. Muhammad intends to defeat Usman and garner media attention in the process. Usman should indeed engage in combat first, though.
If Muhammad does get his wish and faces Usman in his next fight, it would undoubtedly be one of the biggest matchups of the year. The welterweight division has been one of the most competitive in the UFC in recent years, with a host of top-level fighters vying for the title. A fight between Muhammad and Usman would not only be a clash between two of the best welterweights in the world but also a battle between two fighters with vastly different styles.
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