Belal Muhammad’s reign as the welterweight champion is off to a rocky start! ‘Remember the Name’ made history at UFC 304 by ripping the belt from Leon Edwards and becoming the first UFC champion of Palestinian descent. For the first defense of his title, he was poised to take on the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 in December. But it seems like fate has other plans.

Suffering from serious complications with his foot due to an infection, Muhammad had to withdraw from the bout. And in a recent statement, he’s put Dana White on notice as the promotion scrambles to make sure the final PPV of the year goes off without a hitch! 

Belal Muhammad puts UFC and Dana White on notice for UFC 310 as “real belt” not on the line

In a recent post shared on social media, Belal Muhammad shared a haunting image of his infected toe. According to his statement shared along with the picture, “Caught a bone infection in my foot .. had to put a picc line in my arm  for iv antibiotics the next 6 weeks with no physical activity”

With his training on hold until mid-December at the earliest, his return to action might only be possible in early 2025. This delay, though unavoidable, has sparked Rakhmonov to come out and call for an interim title shot from the UFC boss. But is that really the right move? According to the champion, it may be too soon for that!

Speaking to Jason Anik on an episode of ‘Remember The Show’, Muhammad stated, “I can see them trying to do something with Shavkat but he’s calling for an interim title fight but it’s like, interim title fight bro? It’s 6 weeks, not 6 months that I’m off.”

As UFC 310 draws closer, Dana White and the UFC face a tough choice: keep Rakhmonov on the card with a new opponent, risking his flawless 18-0 record, or let the main event fall through. Muhammad further went on to explain, “I mean I don’t really care they want to make an interim title fight regardless coz they know who has the real belt….the only person really right now that makes sense would be Kamaru since Buckley and Garry are out and you said um, JDM’s injured, so there’s really nobody else out there.”

As such, Belal Muhammad remains undeterred, expressing confidence that when he returns, he’ll be ready to defend his title, regardless of any interim titles or shakeups. For him, the true belt isn’t up for grabs. But his withdrawal from the event has put him in the cross-hairs of a certain Irishman who even called for the UFC boss to strip ‘Remember the Name’ of his crown!

‘The Notorious’ fires a salvo at Muhammad and calls on UFC boss to take drastic measures

Conor McGregor is back, stirring the UFC pot as only he can. This time, his target is none other than welterweight champ Belal Muhammad. After Muhammad was forced to pull out of his title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov due to a bone infection, McGregor wasted no time sharing his thoughts—and they were far from sympathetic.

Muhammad’s injury, a painful infection that left his toe swollen and sent him to the hospital, brought an unexpected twist to his planned title defense at UFC 310. But for McGregor? It was an open invitation to jab at Muhammad’s misfortune. His first response was simple but cutting—two laughing emojis posted under a photo of Muhammad’s injury. It was a small spark that quickly set off a wildfire between the two fighters.

When Muhammad fired back with some serious accusations, the Irishman took it a step further in a series of now-deleted posts on X. ‘The Notorious’ stated, “You lambasted UFC world champions multiple times on having to reschedule their bouts through injury, and now it has come down on you like a bomb from the sky. Bum! Stripped! Instantly. Zero knockdowns/any excitement or traffic or views or ticket sales in bout, and now also non reliable? Strip. Cut.”

To wrap things up, Belal Muhammad’s withdrawal from UFC 310 has stirred the UFC waters, leaving Dana White scrambling to salvage the year-end card. Shavkat Rakhmonov’s call for an interim title only added fuel to the fire, especially as McGregor publicly taunted Muhammad, even suggesting he be stripped of the title altogether. As UFC 310 looms, the promotion faces a tough choice. Will they risk Rakhmonov’s undefeated streak with a new matchup, or pivot entirely? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!