UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad insists he’d rather not fight Islam Makhachev.
Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) values his relationship with lightweight champion Makhachev too much after training with him and team Khabib Nurmagomedov numerous times. Nurmagomedov himself said his heart couldn’t handle seeing Makhachev fight Muhammad.
Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC), who has defended his lightweight title a division-record four times, said he won’t retire before chasing his goal of becoming UFC dual-champion. But Muhammad can see a scenario where he notches a couple of title defenses, then move up to middleweight for his own opportunity at winning a second title.
“I would never fight Islam because that’s different for me and him,” Muhammad said in an interview with Barstool Sports Chicago. “We’ve trained together, and when you’re sweating with somebody, and you’re bleeding with somebody, and you train with somebody like that, it’s just a different relationship. It wouldn’t be about the money for me or for him, I would assume.
“I would never want to do that, and they’ve helped me so much. So for me, I would rather go up to 185 pounds and let him just take 170 if that is the case. Since I’ve already had to fight my way up to 170, and I’ve beaten five of the top 10 guys, like I’m two fights away from being able to challenge at 185 and saying, ‘Yeah I want to be double champ.’”
Muhammad sees middleweight as a seamless transition for him, and likes how he matches up against the upper echelon of the division. He said because his walk-around weight is around 190 pounds, middleweight wouldn’t be an issue.
“185 would be no problem,” Muhammad said. “I train with bigger guys. I’ve felt their strength, and 185 is probably the easiest weigh class (for opponents) besides Khamzat (Chimaev). When you look at that (UFC 312) main event, you’re like ‘Bro, (Sean) Strickland and (Dricus) Du Plessis suck.’”
