Kamaru Usman is looking at the UFC welterweight title, not Belal Muhammad.
Former UFC welterweight champions Usman (21-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC) and Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) were allegedly involved in a physical altercation while Muhammad was a guest on Usman’s “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. The episode never aired.
Since losing his title to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, Muhammad has been angling to settle the score with Usman. However, after Usman returned to the win column by defeating Joaquin Buckley in June, “The Nigerian Nightmare” is onto bigger things.
“We didn’t have a lot of back-and-forth, it was just a lot coming from him,” Usman said of Muhammad at Friday’s Q&A in Abu Dhabi. “I just think he’s a dork, and what you do with a dork is just ignore them. This is the thing, for someone like myself and Belal Muhammad, right now Belal Muhammad is ranked No. 1 in the division, and I’m below him. I’m looking at the title. I’ve been where he hasn’t been.
“Yes of course he’s been the champion, but what happened when it was time for you to defend? I have nothing to gain from fighting Belal Muhammad. He has all to gain. That’s why he’s calling me out. He has all to gain from me. I’m not here to waste time. I want to get the title, and I want to continue on my track of defending and be that champion again. Why waste time with him? If I have the title, and he’s the next guy, I would luckily kick his head in.”
For now, Muhammad will take on Ian Machado Garry (16-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 265 co-main event on Nov. 22 from ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar (ESPN+).
