Kamaru Usman believes Islam Makhachev should fight Belal Muhammad regardless of their training history.
UFC lightweight champion Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) is eager to move up a weight class and capture a second belt. However, standing in his way currently is UFC welterweight champion Muhammad, who has trained with Makhachev on numerous occasions.
Makhachev said as long as his friend, Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC), is champion, he’ll have to put his ambitions aside, which Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) heavily disagrees with.
“I think if I was him, the decision that I would make next, yeah, 100 percent I would definitely probably go up,” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “This whole notion of Belal training with them, bro, no.
“I’m going up there, and I’m whipping him. I don’t care. Just because he comes into our camp, just tries to use our bodies and learn our style? I’m moving up, I’m whipping him, I’m taking that belt, and hey, I’m moving on to the next.”
It’s no surprise that Usman is pushing Makhachev to fight Muhammad, considering his current beef with the welterweight champion. Muhammad was quick to fire back at Usman, who is yet to compete since suffering his third consecutive loss to Khamzat Chimaev in October 2023.
“Stop speaking my name until you finally end your losing streak … or you change the podcast name to ‘loss after loss.’”
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
Makhachev is coming off a record-breaking fourth lightweight title defense against Renato Moicano in Saturday’s UFC 311 main event. He may not be willing to fight Muhammad, but he vowed not to retire before fighting for a second UFC title.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.
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