UFC superstar Conor McGregor has now surpassed the three-year mark since his last fight, enduring numerous setbacks, including a ‘pinky toe’ injury that has kept him away from the Octagon. Moreover, during this period, he has been the subject of mockery from his critics, with ‘Team Khabib’ and UFC welterweight king Belal Muhammad being the most prominent in ridiculing him.

Notorious for his fiery demeanor, McGregor hasn’t refrained from taking shots at his rivals, even if only through words. Recently, his target has been Belal Muhammad, a close friend of Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was originally scheduled to face Shavkat Rakhmonov for his first title defense at UFC 310 in December. However, due to a severe bone infection, Muhammad had to withdraw from the fight.

While the MMA community has shown sympathy for Muhammad, McGregor hasn’t held back, seizing the opportunity to throw jabs at the injured champion. What better opportunity could there be for Conor McGregor to capitalize on the moment? In a recent exchange on a now-deleted post on X, McGregor brutally mocked Muhammad’s condition, writing, “Chop his foot off, he’s riddled.” The back-and-forth between the two has since escalated, with no signs of either side backing down.

Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov has been considered one of the most anticipated matchups for the year-end, as the undefeated Rakhmonov has been keeping an eye on the welterweight title for quite some time. Now, Rakhmonov’s ambition to claim the division championship has been delayed for several months. Let’s find out what he has to say about the welterweight champion’s injury.

What does Shavkat Rakhmonov have to say about Belal Muhammad’s pullout from UFC 310?

Kazakh sensation Shavkat Rakhmonov and Belal Muhammad have never been on good terms, as Rakhmonov has been relentlessly pursuing Muhammad’s title belt since the first day he dethroned Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in Manchester. Since then, Rakhmonov has kept an eye on Muhammad, often labeling him with various synonyms on social media, calling him “inactive” and accusing him of ducking fights out of fear.

On the other hand, Belal Muhammad has also criticized UFC head honcho Dana White, once comparing him to the character ‘Morpheus‘ from The Matrix, offering him the choice of picking up two fights. Interestingly, ‘Nomad’ was both the red and blue pill, iterating that the company was leaving him with no choice but to fight the undefeated juggernaut.

However, when Rakhmonov heard that the champion had to withdraw from the fight due to a bone infection, the Kazakh praised and wished him a quick recovery in a social media post. He wrote, “Wishing Belal (Muhammad) a quick recovery,” on his official X account. “We’ll meet when you’re back at 100 percent.”

Rakhmonov also proposed the idea of an interim title fight, stating, “For now, I’m ready to take on any contender for the interim title at UFC 310.” However, Belal Muhammad has already debunked this idea, claiming he is just out for six weeks, not six months. Now it’s up to the UFC to determine how they will handle the situation.

What’s your take on this? Should Dana White and the UFC create an interim title for UFC 310, or should Shavkat Rakhmonov hold off until Belal Muhammad is back from recovery? Drop your opinion below.