UFC champ Belal Muhammad needs to filter out welterweight contenders earlier than 'speaking concerning the bums at 185'

by Christina S. Brown
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Belal Muhammad isn’t against chasing a second UFC title, however needs to make sure there’s no work left in his division first.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) turned the brand new UFC welterweight champion in July by defeating Leon Edwards at UFC 304. He already has his first title protection lined up in opposition to the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 in December.

It’s a quick turnaround for a brand new champion. If Muhammad is ready to get previous the “boogeyman” of the division in Rakhmonov and sustain an identical tempo, he would run out of worthy title challengers fairly shortly. However the champ isn’t precisely planning on a velocity run, and is aware of the names in wait should problem each other to be the following man up.

“On the whole, with any fighter, you need to cement your self because the chief within the division and the man that there’s no one that may beat,” Muhammad mentioned. “I feel after Shavkat, you’ve received a few guys which can be there. You bought Ian Garry, you bought JDM (Jack Della Maddalena) and you bought Kamaru Usman. However a few of these guys are going to must struggle one another now.

“There’s no simply ready on the sidelines saying, ‘I’m subsequent. I received subsequent, I earned it.’ I don’t assume no one’s actually earned that subsequent spot left, so there’s going to be guys which can be going to be taking losses. The cream has to rise to the highest.”

Changing into a UFC champion is one factor. It’s a career-long aim that Muhammad efficiently achieved. However turning into a champ-champ is an entire completely different sport that Muhammad doesn’t need to take into consideration till he’s achieved clearing out welterweight challengers.

Nevertheless, that point could also be nearer than many notice, contemplating Muhammad needed to run the gauntlet earlier than getting his first title shot in opposition to Edwards earlier this yr.

“Perhaps one or two extra fights, I feel then I might begin speaking about middleweight and will begin speaking about double champ standing,” Muhammad mentioned. “Whenever you have a look at the fellows I’ve fought – what do I’ve? Six or seven wins within the high 10, high 15 of my division proper now, so I’ve already fought all these guys even earlier than attending to the title.

“So now that I’m on the champion standing, it’s like, properly OK, now I most likely solely received a pair extra left earlier than I can begin speaking concerning the bums at 185.”

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