Incoming UFC 315 headliner, Belal Muhammad has claimed fans would be crazy to miss this weekend’s card — claiming the future at lightweight and its title picture could be affected majorly.
Muhammad, who returns in his second straight flagship main event clash, will defend his title for the first time as he takes on Aussie title challenger, Jack Della Maddalena, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Despite winning the championship last July at UFC 304, the polarizing Muhammad has found himself on the fringes after an injury took out his to-be opponent, Shavkat Rakhmonov out of title contention.
While the undefeated Kazakh was said to be the toughest bout in the division for anyone involved, Belal now claims his absence is no reason to sit out UFC 315. Because whoever the champion is at the end of UFC 315, determines the course of at least two, if not three divisions.
“It’s like Jenga,” Belal told Full Send MMA of the card. “They’re [fellow fighters] are all just waiting for it to happen. I feel like Dana (White) and all those guys are waiting, too. They’ve probably got so many contracts they’re like, ‘Here, here, here‘,” he explained
“I already told them, there’s no need to wait,” Muhammad continued. “I’m gonna win. So, whatever your plans are like before that — and I’m like, I already know so many people have their draft saved of their tweet. …They’re hoping that I lose,” he added.
Should Belal lose, Islam is expected to journey to 170 lbs and challenge Maddalena for the title, leaving the lightweight space vacant for a likely bout between Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria.
Should he win and Islam still plans on staking a claim to 170 lbs gold, Belal assures, he will still never fight the Dagaestani champion.
Muhammad again vows to vacate belt for Makhachev
Sidelined since January, Islam has been linked massively with a summer return against the Topuria. Furthermore, he has also made his intentions clear to fight for the welterweight belt in the near — if not immediate future.
But current champion Muhammad wants no part of it, even suggesting Makhachev and he could win two championships in different divisions, back-to-back.
“For me, loyalty means more than anything. I feel that I’m at the point now where if I get two title defenses. I could start looking to move up. When I am looking at 85 [middleweight], I think it is an easy division for myself…So me and Islam could double champ back to back,” he asserted.
However, analysts believe that despite Belal’s hesitation, he would be the toughest challenge for Islam should he move to welterweight. A master grappler, who can throw hands, would exactly be the kind of countermeasure needed to stop the Dagestani juggernaut.
In fact, UFC commentator Laura Sanko has even claimed that despite Belal and his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov holding the line against a gym feud, Islam seems more than content to test his might against the welterweight champion.
Sanko admits to seeing Islam being just as dominant at welterweight as he is at lightweight, but asserts that the division would prove him with a tougher challenge, especially if led by Belal.
