Newly-crowned welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad, will not be making his first 170-pound title defense until some point in 2025.
That’s because “Remember the Name” was felled by a nasty bone infection that landed him in the hospital, putting an end to his Shavkat Rakhmonov fight atop the UFC 310 pay-per-view (PPV) event on Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Get all the gory details here.
“Wishing Belal a quick recovery,” Rakhmonov wrote on social media. “We’ll meet when you’re back at 100 percent. For now, I’m ready to take on any contender for the interim title at UFC 310.”
Matchmakers are scrambling for a new main event, which may include this current champ.
Welterweight contenders Colby Covington and Ian Garry, ranked No. 6 and No. 7, respectively, were loosely attached to the UFC 310 fight card; however, contracts have yet to be signed, giving the promotion an opportunity to poach “The Future” if Rakhmonov gets his wish.
Stay tuned.