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There’s no love lost between Sean Strickland and Belal Muhammad.
Since 2021, the two have traded barbs repeatedly despite fighting in different weight classes. At one point, Strickland even confronted Muhammad in person at Xtreme Couture. When the two didn’t come to blows in the gym, Strickland mocked the top-ranked Welterweight contender online for cowardice.
Now, as an unexpected result of content creator Nina-Marie Daniele’s fairly innocuous prank on Belal Muhammad (watch below), the two are once again beefing.
Belal Muhammad did not see this coming LOL. Congratulations @bullyb170 so happy for you! #UFC304 pic.twitter.com/iPXHxtZEl2
— Nina-Marie Daniele (@ninamdrama) May 16, 2024
Strickland replied in the comments, immediately referencing their aforementioned Las Vegas run-in. “If you told him that in person he would put his head down and walk away,” Strickland wrote. “Then try to fight you on Twitter lol.”
That doesn’t rank highly in terms of the most aggressive things Strickland has ever written on social media, but “Remember The Name” didn’t hold back in his response. Muhammad dug into Strickland, painting the former champion as a hypocrite who doesn’t walk his crazy talk.
“If sean tells you he’s gonna fight you to the death,” Muhammad wrote on Twitter. “It means he’s gonna jab you and play defense for 25 minutes … if Sean sees your a harmless kid or homeless man on his ring camera he’s gonna walk out side with a gun and record it to make it seem like he’s crazy … if sean goes on a podcast it means he’s probably gonna cry.”
MMA Twitter is unanimous: this is a rare 10-8 Muhammad round.
Sadly, the two remain unlikely to settle their beef in the cage. Muhammad is next-in-line for a shot at Welterweight gold, as his UFC 304 title shot versus Leon Edwards was recently announced. Strickland, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back from a close title loss to Dricus Du Plessis by taking out Paulo Costa at UFC 302.
… If the Brazilian signs the contract!
Insomnia
Who will be God’s favored boxer this weekend?
The Pope has blessed the WBC belt that is on the line for Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk this weekend. The most important blessing ever given to a boxing world title belt. pic.twitter.com/PPK707Q38w
— Boxing Kingdom (@BoxingKingdom14) May 16, 2024
Anecdote of the week: I rode my bike for primary form of aerobic conditioning in my last two fight camps. I only ate s—t once!
Second week back on the bike post surgery, your boy’s a little hesitant, but like anything it comes back. pic.twitter.com/yhHVni8tMK
— BONY (@JonnyBones) May 17, 2024
Alex Pereira seems to have a great sense of humor.
Alex Pereira pranking his kids with a fake bear outfit pic.twitter.com/8qO6ma7uWt
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) May 17, 2024
Do Tim Sylvia next!!!
This is what peak male physique look like.#furyvsusyk pic.twitter.com/2pCBg03EYm
— Ms. Makhachev (@Ms_Makhachev) May 17, 2024
Combat sports trash talk is usually at least a little homoerotic, and this is unsurprising given some of Mike Tyson’s more legendary quotes.
Jake Paul: “I wanna kiss Mike’s big juicy lips”
Mike Tyson: “I saw a picture of him at 16 doing a little dance on YouTube and for some reason I had an erection”
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) May 17, 2024
Charles Jourdain can always be counted on to deliver a fun fight.
Charles Jourdain will fight Jean Silva at #UFC303 on June 29th. #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2024 #IFW2024 pic.twitter.com/mn14yrODV9
— Marcel Dorff (@BigMarcel24) May 17, 2024
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Rakhmonov did a great job of landing off the kick directly back in his stance, ready to fire.
Osimkhon Rakhmonov sparks Walter Pereira Jr. out cold with a beautiful short counter right hook for the first round KO #ACA175 pic.twitter.com/sImLpSK5aG
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) May 17, 2024
Click through for a full recap of the career of Oleksandr Usyk!
The earliest footage of Usyk as an amateur is from the 2007 Amber Gloves tournament in Russia.
Usyk went 2-1, losing to Artur Beterbiev (RUS, 1st clip) and beating Javid Taghiev (AZE) and Utkir Saipov (UZB, 2nd clip) pic.twitter.com/FNx0LfSrdq
— Combat Chronicles (@CombatCr) May 17, 2024
Usyk won the gold medal at the 2011 World Amateur Championships, beating Beterbiev to go 1-1 in the series despite taking a count from a body shot (video below). Usyk defeated Azerbaijan’s Teymur Mammadov to take gold. pic.twitter.com/g9XIG9uATh
— Combat Chronicles (@CombatCr) May 17, 2024
In his third contest Usyk beat future Olympic silver medalist (and robbed of gold!) and pro contender Joe ‘The Juggernaut’ Joyce. A fun fight! pic.twitter.com/eA6GkvJkoF
— Combat Chronicles (@CombatCr) May 17, 2024
I don’t know what happened to Jesuino here, but I hope he’s alright.
Adlan Bataev just mauls Jair Jesuino for the first round stoppage. You don’t usually hear fighters screaming like that for the stoppage. Must be a broken orbital #ACA175 pic.twitter.com/M6SP2yWbIl
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) May 17, 2024
Random Land
A chunky marmot.
Midnight Music: Alternative, 1985
Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.