Undisputed welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad has poked fun at the three-title win aspirations of UFC 308 headliner, Ilia Topuria — claiming the featherweight kingpin is likely suffering from a Napoleon Complex, named after former French Emperor, Napolean Bonaparte.
Topuria, the current undisputed featherweight gold holder, returns tomorrow evening in the main event of UFC 308, looking to successfully defend his 145lbs championship for the first time in a heated grudge fight with former gold holder and current symbolic BMF champion, Max Holloway.
As for the above-mentioned welterweight champion, Muhammad, the streaking titleholder won gold for the first time back in July, turning in a main event unanimous decision shutout win over Leon Edwards in the pair’s rematch atop UFC 304 in Manchester.
And since booking his own first defense of the 170lbs crown, Illinois native, Muhammad is set to headline UFC 310 at the end of the year, taking on unbeaten Uzbekistan finishing ace, Shavkat Rakhmonov in the pair’s high-profile welterweight title showdown.
Belal Muhammad scoffs at Ilia Topuria’s plans to win three UFC titles
However, catching wind of Ilia Topuria’s aspirations to not just mint himself as a two-weight champion — but hold gold in three separate weight classes before his thirtieth birthday, Muhammad laughed off those dreams, claiming the Georgian-Spaniard was suffering from a Napolean Complex.
“I think that dude’s (Ilia Topuria) got Napoleon syndrome or something,” Muhammad told MMA Fighting. “Short guys always act like they’re tough. Literally I think he started coming at me because somebody asked me about why is he coming at Islam [Makhachev]. I said bro, he needs to focus on [Max] Holloway, who’s in front of him and you don’t want to disrespect the guys from Dagestan because they see you in person, they’re going to slap you. They don’t take that stuff. They don’t play the trash talk game. It’s real life to them.
“I think he took offense to it.,” Belal Muhammad explained. “He’s at that mode where I think he’s trying to find himself and he’s trying to show fans that he’s trash talker and he’s this bad guy. He’s not really good at trash talking. When he comes at me, it’s laughable because he’s basically copying words off memes.”