Having spent years pursuing top competition to claim a UFC title, Belal Muhammad now finds himself the one being pursued. Holding the championship means the target is on his back, and he no longer needs to chase opponents.
Ideally, his first defense would have been against the formidable, undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov, often viewed as the division`s boogeyman due to his perfect finishing rate before a recent decision win over Ian Machado Garry. Unfortunately, Muhammad`s injury prevented their planned December bout. Then, Rakhmonov faced a similar setback when the fight was being rescheduled for UFC 315 on May 10.
Now, Muhammad is set to face Jack Della Maddalena in the main event. While acknowledging that Rakhmonov still deserves his shot at the title, the current champion understands the unpredictable nature of the sport, where nothing is truly guaranteed.
“That`s the crazy thing about this sport,” Muhammad stated. “Look at Jack; he didn`t have to follow the same path I did. It just seemed like perfect timing when he was moved from the Leon Edwards fight into a title shot. You truly never know how things will play out.”
He added, “For me, if Shavkat is healthy, I believe he`s deserving, but I don`t have information on the specifics or duration of his injury layoff. The division has to keep progressing. The train cannot stop moving.”
Following Rakhmonov`s injury withdrawal, Sean Brady has continued his successful run, notably becoming the first fighter to finish Leon Edwards when he submitted the former champion in April. Muhammad handed Brady his only professional loss, knocking out the Philadelphia fighter in 2022, so they share a notable history.
Just last weekend, Ian Garry rebounded from his loss to Rakhmonov by defeating highly regarded welterweight striker Carlos Prates. Garry is now scheduled to serve as the backup fighter for Muhammad`s title defense against Della Maddalena.
With no clear timeline for Rakhmonov`s return to full health, Muhammad indicated he is leaving the decision regarding his next opponent to the UFC.
“The UFC has to decide what they will do,” Muhammad commented. “Sean Brady looked very impressive in his last fight and has been strong ever since that loss [to me]. I think he likely learned significantly from it. Some fighters make excuses after a loss, while others grow, improve, and address weaknesses. I believe he did the latter. That loss might have been the best thing for him.”
Muhammad continued, “Without looking past Jack at all, there are certainly contenders on the horizon. You have Ian Machado Garry, Joaquin Buckley who is still actively calling people out, Sean Brady right there, and of course, Shavkat when he returns. There are many guys in the division I haven`t fought yet, but my priority is winning my next fight. After securing that win, we can consider all these potential future opponents.”
One of the significant benefits of being champion is not needing to chase specific contenders, as his primary focus now is solely on defending the belt.
Currently, his sole concentration is on defeating Della Maddalena at UFC 315. Afterward, he hopes to have the opportunity to settle the pending matchup against Rakhmonov.
However, Muhammad understands perhaps better than anyone that timing and opportunity are often the most critical factors determining fight bookings. His message to the rest of the welterweight division is simply to stay ready.
“You never know how things will unfold in this sport,” Muhammad said. “It`s quite easy to get injured during training, so for a guy like Shavkat, who has experienced extended injury layoffs before, I sincerely wish him nothing but health and a speedy recovery.”
“I want him to be ready because he is a significant name. He`s a major opponent I want to add to my record. I want to be the one to give him his first professional loss. But ultimately, as I`ve said, everything is in God`s hands.”
