Tag: belal muhammad

Breaking News: Belal Muhammad Pulls Out of UFC 310 Title Defense Against Shavkat Rakhmonov

Belal MuhammadAccording to recent reports, ‘Remember the Name’ Belal Muhammad has withdrawn from his UFC 310 match against Shavkat Rakhmonov….

Belal Muhammad

According to recent reports, ‘Remember the Name’ Belal Muhammad has withdrawn from his UFC 310 match against Shavkat Rakhmonov. This was originally a UFC welterweight title match going down on December 7, 2024, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas USA.

Belal Muhammad Withdraws from UFC 310

Online, reports began coming out from journalists Benny P and Al Zullino that the UFC 310 main event is in jeopardy. The UFC has not made an official announcement regarding the December 7 event.

‘Remember the Name’ Belal Muhammad, Palestinian-American, is on a ten-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC. In his most recent fight, he avenged a prior no-contest and took the welterweight crown from Leon Edwards. As of July of 2024, Muhammad is the undisputed UFC welterweight world champion. Additionally, he has defeated notable figures such as Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady, and Stephen Thompson, among others.

‘Nomad’ Shavkat Rakhmonov, of Kazakhstan, earned his shot at the welterweight title by putting together an undefeated record in MMA with a perfect 18 victories. All of his wins have come by way of finish, either submission or KO/TKO. Currently, he is on a three0fight submission win streak against Stephen Thompson, Geoff Neal, and Neil Magny.

It is unclear what will be done with the UFC 310 main event. Whether they will push back the title fight to another date or keep Rakhmonov on the card to face another opponent, potentially for an interim title at welterweight.

The December 7 card also has a flyweight title fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura, and a heavyweight bout featuring Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov, plus Nick Diaz, and Aljamain Sterling, among others.

Belal Muhammad set to defend title in UFC 310 showdown with Shavkat Rakhmonov in December

Report: Belal Muhammad Out Of Shavkat Rakhmonov Title Fight At UFC 310

UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad is reportedly out of his scheduled title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. Muhammad completed his ascent to the mountaintop at 170 pounds this past July in Manchester, England, where he upset the odds to get the better of Leon Edwards across five rounds in their rematch. Eager to […]

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UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad is reportedly out of his scheduled title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310.

Muhammad completed his ascent to the mountaintop at 170 pounds this past July in Manchester, England, where he upset the odds to get the better of Leon Edwards across five rounds in their rematch.

Eager to be active and face the toughest tests available to him, “Remember the Name” welcomed the challenge of undefeated phenom Rakhmonov. The promotion obliged, booking the pair to headline the UFC 310 pay-per-view in Las Vegas on Dec. 7.

On Wednesday, however, rumors began to circulate of a possible cancellation. Australian MMA insider @Bendaman2001 — who broke news of Khamzat Chimaev’s withdrawal from the Saudi Arabia UFC Fight Night this past June — was the first to suggest an issue with the UFC 310 headliner.

A more definitive report later came from longtime MMA media figure Al Zullino, who noted that the UFC is actively searching for a replacement fight to headline the final numbered card of 2024.

Should this news be confirmed, it’ll mark a setback in Rakhmonov’s title ambitions. The Kazakh fighter earned his opportunity with a 6-0 run since signing with the UFC back in 2020 off the back of championship success in M-1 Global.

It remains to be seen whether “Nomad” will remain on the UFC 310 card and face another top contender or patiently await a rescheduled clash with Muhammad in 2025.

This marks the latest blow to the Dec. 7 event, which already lost a crucial strawweight clash between the highly regarded Tatiana Suarez and Virna Jandiroba.

The lineup does still boast a title fight, though, with flyweight kingpin Alexandre Pantoja set to welcome former Rizin champ Kai Asakura to the UFC in defense of his gold.

Continue Reading Report: Belal Muhammad Out Of Shavkat Rakhmonov Title Fight At UFC 310 at MMA News.

Belal Muhammad Trashes Ilia Topuria’s Triple Champ Aspirations

Belal Muhammad is showing little regard for Ilia Topuria’s lofty ambitions of becoming the UFC’s first-ever three-division champion. “El Matador” is set to put his featherweight crown on the line for the very first time this Saturday when he faces Max Holloway at UFC 308 inside the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Despite the […]

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Belal Muhammad is showing little regard for Ilia Topuria’s lofty ambitions of becoming the UFC’s first-ever three-division champion.

“El Matador” is set to put his featherweight crown on the line for the very first time this Saturday when he faces Max Holloway at UFC 308 inside the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Despite the formidable challenge that awaits him this weekend, Topuria has already set his sights beyond the fight, boldly asserting his ambition to become a three-division UFC champion by taking on lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev and welterweight champ Muhammad in the coming years.

While the undefeated Spaniard has mostly maintained a respectful demeanor toward Makhachev, he hasn’t hesitated to go brakes-free on “Remember the Name,” whom he considers “a walk in the park.” Both Topuria and Muhammad have been embroiled in a fierce war of words on social media ever since the American cautioned “El Matador” about his grand aspirations.

During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, “Remember the Name” shrugged off Topuria’s challenge, dismissing it as something not to be taken seriously. Muhammad suggested that the featherweight champion is simply calling out other titleholders in a bid to boost his fan appeal rather than presenting a genuine threat.

Muhammad secured the 170-pound belt with a unanimous decision victory over Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in July. Now, he’s poised for his first title defense against the unbeaten Shavkat Rakhmonov in the headlining bout of UFC 310, set for December 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Trashes Ilia Topuria’s Triple Champ Aspirations at MMA News.

Islam Makhachev Could Get Welterweight Title Opportunity, Says Dana White

Islam MakhachevIf Islam Makhachev wins his next fight, he’ll “absolutely” get an opportunity to add another belt to his collection….

Islam Makhachev

If Islam Makhachev wins his next fight, he’ll “absolutely” get an opportunity to add another belt to his collection.

In June, the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ successfully defended his lightweight championship against three-time title challenger Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in New Jersey. Makhachev had hoped to put his gold on the line at Saturday’s pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi, but a hand injury forced him to sit out the rest of 2024.

Islam Makhachev

When he does return, Makhachev is expected to square off with the division’s top-ranked contender, Arman Tsarukyan.

With Makhachev already expressing interest in moving up to welterweight for a shot at champ-champ status, Dana White revealed at Thursday’s Power Slap press conference that he would happily allow Makhachev to move up should he score a win over ‘Ahalkalakets’ in his next outing.

Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad not interested in fighting Islam makhachev

Right now, the welterweight title resides with Belal Muhammad after ‘Remember The Name’ delivered a mostly dominant showing against Leon Edwards in Manchester earlier this year.

Currently, Muhammad is scheduled to defend the welterweight crown against unbeaten finisher Shavkat Rakhmonov in the UFC 310 headliner on December 7.

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Unfortunately for Makhachev, even if Muhammad comes out on top, he’s not likely to give the Dagestani a title opportunity.

“I would never fight him, 100 percent, but honestly, he could go up to 185 and beat [Dricus] du Plessis right now,” Muhammad told MMA Fighting in June. “I think he’s that good, really. I think he could go up there and be that two-division champ.”

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Ilia Topuria Takes Aim at Belal Muhammad: ‘He’s a Bum’ and a ‘Walk in the Park’ to Defeat

Ilia Topuria Takes Aim at Belal Muhammad: ‘He’s a Bum’ and a ‘Walk in the Park’ to DefeatWhen it’s all said and done, Ilia Topuria plans to become the UFC’s first-ever three-division champion. Earlier this year,…

Ilia Topuria Takes Aim at Belal Muhammad: ‘He’s a Bum’ and a ‘Walk in the Park’ to Defeat

When it’s all said and done, Ilia Topuria plans to become the UFC’s first-ever three-division champion.

Earlier this year, ‘El Matador’ climbed to the top of the featherweight mountain via a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. Now, Topuria will attempt to solidify himself as the division’s top dog when he puts his gold up for grabs against one of the most accomplished strikers in UFC history, Max Holloway.

Topuria vs. Holloway will headline this Saturday’s highly anticipated UFC 308 card emanating from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Ilia Topuria

Though he’s staring down the barrel of his inaugural title defense on MMA’s biggest stage, Topuria is already plotting to bring two more belts home to Spain over the next few years.

“Probably a three-weight world champion, this is my goal,” Topuria recently told TNT Sports. You’re not going to see me in the welterweight division like this, skinny. You’re going to see me differently. That’s the goal. Move up to the lightweight division, get that belt, then move up to the welterweight division.”

Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria has zero respect for ‘Bum’ belal muhammad

Currently, the welterweight crown resides with Belal Muhammad who captured the title via a mostly dominant performance against Leon Edwards in Manchester. But despite his solid performance, ‘Remember The Name’ has garnered little respect from fighters and fans alike.

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During another fight week interview, Topuria suggested that if Muhammad is still the champion by the time he’s ready to make the move up to welterweight, adding that piece of gold to his collection will be a walk in the park.

“If Belal remains champion, it’s a walk in the park,” Topuria told KOI Menero MMA. “It would be a walk in the park for me to go up and win the welterweight title. But walk in the park [yawns]. That’s it. He’s a bum. Really really bad. A champion who hasn’t finished anyone hasn’t had knockdowns. What kind of champion are you? This morning I woke up and saw him say, ‘If I see [Topuria], I’m going to slap him.

“It’s like everyone has a street, gangster attitude. Sometimes I wonder what they’re doing fighting in the UFC and dedicating themselves to a pro sport. It seems that they are all gangsters and clowns, who later don’t want to look you in the eyes. You know, someone who’s really capable of doing something wouldn’t tell you. They won’t even bark. He even wants to beat me by decision. I’ll give you a slap man, shut up” (h/t Sherdog).

Muhammad is scheduled to defend the welterweight title on December 7 when he meets unbeaten finisher Shavkat Rakhmonov in the UFC 310 main event. As it stands, Rakhmonov is an almost 3-to-1 favorite to leave Las Vegas with the 170-pound crown wrapped around his waist.

Ilia Topuria

Belal Muhammad Claims Competitive Edge Over Shavkat Rakhmonov

Belal Muhammad recently weighed in on why he believes he has the upper hand against Shavkat Rakhmonov in their upcoming clash. Muhammad is poised to defend his welterweight title against Rakhmonov in the main event of UFC 310, scheduled for December 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Remember the Name” is riding […]

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Claims Competitive Edge Over Shavkat Rakhmonov at MMA News.

Belal Muhammad recently weighed in on why he believes he has the upper hand against Shavkat Rakhmonov in their upcoming clash.

Muhammad is poised to defend his welterweight title against Rakhmonov in the main event of UFC 310, scheduled for December 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Remember the Name” is riding a wave of confidence after decisively dethroning former champion Leon Edwards with a unanimous decision victory at UFC 304 in July. In a bold move, he chose “Nomad,” who is regarded as one of the most daunting competitors in the 170-pound division, as his opponent for his first title defense.

Despite his impressive 11-fight unbeaten streak and championship status, Muhammad opened up as a significant underdog against Rakhmonov on the betting line. However, the 36-year-old Chicago native believes that Rakhmonov has yet to face a fighter quite like him.

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, “Remember the Name” acknowledged Rakhmonov’s ascent through the ranks but confidently asserted that he is far tougher. Muhammad emphasized that he plans to apply unprecedented pressure and test Rakhmonov’s limits, pushing him to his breaking point.

“But I think that the difference between me and everybody he’s faced is I’m not gonna go in there intimidated,” Muhammad said. “I’ve fought in every style; I’ve fought everybody — the best of the best. I’ve been with the biggest names, and for myself, I’ve gotten over all those humps. He hasn’t gotten over that hump yet. A lot of the guys he’s fought go in there intimidated, already seeing him, and you can just see in a lot of these guys they’ll just fall or they’ll break right away for him.

“Now you’re going against somebody that’s tougher; you’re going against somebody that’s not gonna fall; you’re going against somebody that’s gonna stand right there in front of your face the whole time. Then what do you do? How do you react? He hasn’t had to face that type of fighter in the UFC yet; he hasn’t had those types of wars yet.”

“Nomad” remains unbeaten in his professional career, boasting an impressive 100 percent finish rate. With a UFC record of 6-0, he is riding a wave of momentum after securing a second-round submission victory against former title challenger Stephen Thompson at UFC 296 in December 2023.

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Claims Competitive Edge Over Shavkat Rakhmonov at MMA News.