Reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad has hit back at Kamaru Usman over comments that Islam Makhachev would ‘whip’ him if he moved up to 170-pounds.
These comments come after Islam Makhachev’s one round demolition of Renato Moicano at UFC 311, with Usman adamant Makhachev would destroy Muhammad.
Belal Muhammad Roasts Kamaru Usman Following Islam Makhachev Comments
After winning the UFC Welterweight Title midway through 2024, Belal Muhammad has come under fire on a fairly regular basis from fellow UFC fighters and fans too.
Whether it be his fighting style or the fact he hasn’t actually defended his 170-pound belt yet, ‘Bully’ seems to get a lot of criticism. One man who has criticised Muhammad recently is former welterweight king Kamaru Usman.
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ commented on a potential match-up between Muhammad and the 155-pound king Islam Makhachev, following his emphatic victory in the main event at UFC 311.
Muhammad has certainly taken umbrage to these comments, firing back at Usman on social media. Usman said on his Pound 4 Pound podcast that he believes Makhachev should move up to welterweight and take Muhammad’s belt.
There has been talk that Belal Muhammad and Islam Makhachev would never fight each other due to their strong friendship, but Usman believes Makhachev should cast that narrative aside and instead move up and ‘whip’ ‘Bully’.
It’s safe to say that Belal wasn’t particularly happy with these comments, firing back on social media.
If a fight ever did happen between Islam Makhachev and Belal Muhammad, the best online US sportsbooks would likely favor the lightweight king. Despite being the smaller man, he is the pound-for-pound #1 and would certainly be the favorite with offshore betting sites against the 170-pound champion.
Stop speaking my name until you finally end your losing streak … or you change the podcast name to “loss after loss”
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) January 20, 2025
Belal Muhammad Warns Kamaru Usman To ‘Stop Speaking My Name’
After Kamaru Usman’s comments on his podcast about Islam Makhachev moving up to welterweight to ‘whip’ Belal Muhammad, the 170-pound champion hit straight back on social media with comments of his own.
‘Bully’ ordered Usman to stop mentioning his name whilst also taking a dig at the former champion. Usman is currently riding a three-fight losing streak, meanwhile Muhmmad is of course the king of the welterweight division:
“Stop speaking my name until you finally end your losing streak,” Muhammad wrote. “Or you change the podcast name to ‘loss after loss’.”
It’s fair to say that Belal Muhammad has roasted Kamaru Usman here with a short and sweet insult. The intriguing part is, it isn’t totally beyond the realms of possibility that UFC fans are treated to Muhammad vs Usman in the future.
Muhammad is expected to face Shavkat Rakhmonov in his next fight, but if he loses that he could well look at a fight with ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’. This also depends on how Leon Edwards’ fight with Jack Della Maddalena plays out in March.
After their war of words and insults, a fight between Kamaru Usman and Belal Muhammad most definitely whets the appetite of UFC fans. Fingers crossed we get to see that fight in the next year or two!
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