Screw 170, Belal Muhammad thinks Islam Makhachev could jump straight up to middleweight if he wants to add a second strap to his collection.
As Makhachev steps into the Octagon for his third defense of the lightweight world title at UFC 302, Muhammad is preparing to embark on his own journey toward UFC gold. On July 27, ‘Remember The Name’ will head to Manchester for a clash with current welterweight champ Leon Edwards.
Though Makhachev is focused on getting past Poirier on Saturday (June 1), the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ has openly spoken of his desire to challenge for the welterweight title in a bid to become a two-division champion. Should he dispatch ‘The Diamond’ in The Garden State, that could very well be his next step.
That could leave Belal Muhammad feeling a little uneasy as he prepares to compete for the 170-pound crown. However,’ Remember The Name’ rest easy knowing that even if he’s successful in his first title bid at UFC 304, Makhachev’s path to champ-champ status won’t go through him.
“I would never fight him, 100 percent,” Muhammad told MMA Fighting. “But honestly, he could go up to 185 and beat [Dricus] du Plessis right now. I think he’s that good, really. I think he could go up there and be that two-division champ. Skip over 170 for a little bit, let me beat a couple of these younger guys, and then I’ll go up to 185.”
Belal Muhammad believes makhachev will be dominating for years to come
Unlike his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, who bailed after just three lightweight title defenses, Islam Mahhachev plans on becoming the most dominant champion in the history of the sport — a task Belal Muhammad truly believes the Dagestani can achieve in due time.
“He has plenty of time,” Muhammad said of Makhachev. “He’s dominating his fights. He’s winning easily. I think he’s going to continue on that path of just being a dominant champion. He’s got plenty of years left. He said something about it recently in an interview, saying, ‘I’m still hungry, I’m still here.’ So he’s got a long time to go.”
