Belal Muhammad is at the top of the game right now after defeating Leon Edwards and can call the next shots. Without a doubt, he is doing exactly that and has already chosen his next opponent for his first title defense. However, it is not what people think. He chose Shavkat Rakhmonov rather than  Kamaru Usman and gave plenty of reasons for it.

‘Remember the Name’ has captured the UFC welterweight title with a unanimous decision win over Leon Edwards at UFC 304. After his victory both Rakhmonov and Usman were mentioned as potential challenges for the newly crowned champion. However, the fighter has already chosen his match and this might be costly for Usman.

Belal Muhammad gave his reasoning for choosing Shavkat over Usman

Muhammad had previously expressed his interest in fighting ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’. This was especially after they had exchanged a few fiery words on social media. However, he recently told Submission Radio that Rakhmonov would be the best opponent for the next round and gave his strong reasons.

Muhammad explained that if Usman was not on a three-fight losing streak he would have chosen him. However, now the newly crowned champion is eager to prove his prowess by taking on undefeated contenders such as Rakhmonov. He said, “For me if Usman did not lose to Khamzat and take that fight, but, people forget that it was a short notice fight. That would be the fight because he only lost to Leon. But now he lost three in a row so I think you would need another win. So for me now it is Shavkat, the boogeyman you all think is unbeatable?”

He also mentioned that the fan comments questioning his mettle are making him motivated to fight against Rakhmonov. Meanwhile, the fighters are already going at each other’s throats on social media exposing each other’s weaknesses.

Shavkat Rakhmonov and Belal Muhammad get on a social media feud

Recently, Shavkat Rakhmonov revealed that he was offered a title shot for October, but the current welterweight champion declined. Not one to back down, Belal Muhammad quickly fired back on X, pointing out that ‘Nomad’ hadn’t fought at all in 2024. He suggested that Rakhmonov first face Kamaru Usman in a title eliminator before thinking about a championship bout.

Rakhmonov wasn’t about to let that slide. He shot back, reminding Muhammad that he himself had been out for 14 months before landing a title shot. Muhammad, never short on sarcasm, questioned if someone else was handling Rakhmonov’s social media, quipping, “Selective memory? Who’s tweeting for you, bro? There’s no translation for that in Kazakh.”

With 11 wins and 2 finishes to his name, Muhammad has proven he’s a force in the division. But Rakhmonov, with all 18 of his career wins coming by stoppage, is a dangerous contender who has yet to get his crack at the welterweight title.

Interestingly, Muhammad has his own grievances with the UFC. He was frustrated when Dana White handed Colby Covington a title shot over him, prompting him to train with Khabib Nurmagomedov and ultimately claim the welterweight belt.

Should these two fighters settle their scores in the octagon? Share your thoughts in the comments below!