The UFC welterweight division is slowly becoming one of the most interesting in the promotion. And all the fighters in the rankings have either fought recently or have fights booked. Except for Belal Muhammad. So what’s the situation with his next fight? Who will he face?
As previously reported, Dana White confirmed that Belal Muhammad had a fight. This was on September 27. And many suspected it was Kamaru Usman for the number one contender spot. However, Usman will not fight Khamzat Chimaev. So what happens to Belal Muhammad?
What’s the Status of Belal Muhammad’s Fight After Kamaru Usman Got Booked for UFC 294?
Who can Belal Muhammad fight next?
After Paulo Costa pulled out from UFC 294, Kamaru Usman jumped up to middleweight to replace him. As a result, it shut down all the rumors of him facing Muhammad. In addition, all the other big names and top ten welterweights have fights.
Even when you look lower down the rankings, the fighters like Jack Della Maddalena, Kevin Holland, and others have all fought recently. Moreover, if Muhammad takes a fight against one of the lower-ranked fighters, he is risking his opportunity for the title.
Muhammad is on the cusp of a title shot. He has put together an impressive win streak, beating the likes of Gilbert Burnt and Vicente Luque. This was the main reason why fans suspected his next fight would be against former champion Usman, for the number one contender spot.
Unfortunately for Muhammad, it appears as though he has only two options. Either wait it out and demand a title shot next. Or wait for Kamaru Usman to recover after the Chimaev fight and then face him for the number one spot early next year.
Either way, it is unlikely that we see Belal Muhammad back in action before the end of the year. However, like he did for his fight against Burns, he could step in as a replacement if there are any other injuries on other cards.
What do you make of Belal Muhammad’s situation? Do you think he should wait for the title shot or should he wait and face Kamaru Usman early next year?
