Belal Muhammad is asking the photographs atop Final Combating Championship’s (UFC) Welterweight division.
UFC 304 noticed a change to the 170-pound champion in Manchester, England final month (July 27, 2024). Within the slow-burn to their inevitable rematch, Muhammad and the now-former champion, Leon Edwards, developed a certain quantity of dangerous blood, making the match up extra compelling than its March 2021 predecessor.
In the end, Muhammad obtained the final chortle when he defeated Edwards by a predominantly one-sided unanimous resolution. With Edwards’ efficiency and temporary title reign in consideration, it’s unlikely he’ll get the trilogy tilt subsequent, main most to consider the undefeated 18-0 high contender, Shavkat Rakhmonov, is subsequent. Muhammad, nonetheless, isn’t so certain it’s that apparent.
“I’ve already beat so many high contenders,” Muhammad instructed Grind City Media. “You would say Shavkat’s subsequent however is he actually deserving to be subsequent? Is [Kamaru] Usman actually deserving to be subsequent? There’s not likely a transparent No. 1 contender if you happen to’re actually occupied with it. When Leon gained, I used to be the clear No. 1 contender. I beat this man, this man, this man. He’s like, ‘Oh, he beat [Stephen] ‘Wonderboy’ [Thompson] and I beat like 4 guys after ‘Wonderboy.’
“There’s not likely that man the place you’re like, ‘Oh, he beat a No. 1 contender,’” he continued. “None of those guys beat a No. 1 contender. I beat a No. 1 contender. Once I beat [Vicente] Luque, he was on a seven-fight successful streak. Once I beat Gilbert Burns, he was on a two-fight successful streak. He was a No. 1 contender. He was proper there. Sean Brady was 15-0 after I beat him. All these guys had large wins, enormous wins.”
The win over Edwards stored Muhammad unbeaten in his final 11 fights (24-3, 1 no contest). Admitting his curiosity in changing into the best Welterweight of all time, Muhammad want to rack up title defenses to show himself as such. On the identical time, due to what he views as restricted choices, a Middleweight soar is in thoughts.
“It tells me I obtained like possibly two fights and now I can begin speaking about double-champ standing as a result of I already beat all these guys within the high 10,” Muhammad concluded.
