The feud between UFC welterweight titleholders Kamaru Usman and Belal Muhammad is ramping up.
Kamaru Usman hasn’t fought since a short-notice middleweight loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294. But despite his nearly two-year hiatus from competition, Usman remains near the top of the current UFC welterweight titleholder’s mind.
Usman has lost three consecutive fights after being one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world and a dominant welterweight title reign. But after two losses to Leon Edwards and a short-notice defeat to Chimaev, the state of Usman’s fighting career remains uncertain.
Usman’s absence has prompted several prominent welterweights to call him out in attempts to lure him back to the cage. This includes Ian Machado Garry, Jack Della Maddalena, and Joaquin Buckley.
Belal Muhammad compares Kamaru Usman’s UFC hiatus to Conor McGregor’s absence
Usman continues to play the long game in plotting his UFC comeback. While he could potentially return by year’s end, it’s not a certain proposition.
Amidst Usman’s absence, several top names have risen to the forefront of the welterweight division, including the current champion. Speculation surrounding Usman’s fighting future has ramped up, leading some to question his seriousness behind a comeback.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad gave a less-than-amicable assessment of the state of Usman’s career.
“He’s had over two years off. He’s a podcaster now. He just likes to talk,” Muhammad said of Usman. “I think he’s kind of like a McGregor, where he misses it. He wants to stay relevant, so whenever there’s a big name or big fight coming up, he’ll say something and he’ll give thoughts, or he’ll post a picture with ‘Stylebender’ (Israel Adesanya) in the gym just to get, ‘Oh, maybe Kamaru is training for something – is he doing something?’
“At the end of the day, there are a lot of hungrier guys – guys who really want it – and there’s guys that are there right now that have deserved it and earned it.”
This is far from the first time Muhammad has mocked Usman in the media. After Usman publicly pleaded with Muhammad to accept a potential showdown with one of his teammates, Muhammad hit back by pleading with Usman to ‘end his losing streak’.
Usman compared Muhammad’s trash talk to his two-time foe Colby Covington, who attacked his family and took several personal shots in the lead-up to their fights. But Muhammad hasn’t crossed the line in the pre-fight buildup to his upcoming first title defense.
Belal Muhammad might face his teammate with a win at UFC 315
If Muhammad gets past Maddalena at UFC 315 next month, a potential superfight could be in the mix with a victory. UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is rumored to move up to welterweight soon, making a potential showdown with Muhammad possible.
But a significant obstacle in making a fight between Muhammad and Makhachev is Khabib Nurmagomedov, who has coached both fighters during their ascents to championships. Nurmagomedov has said that his ‘heart is not okay’ with the two teammates clashing inside the Octagon.
Muhammad could potentially move up to middleweight if Makhachev moves up to contend for his belt. He’s traded barbs with the likes of middleweights Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland in recent months.
