There is no better feeling for a mixed martial artist than to become a UFC champ for the first time. Or so UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev claims. So euphoric was the delight and rush he felt the night he became the 155-pound champ two years ago, that he has been chasing that high since then. He now wants to move up to welterweight and become the 170-pound champion. The Makhachkala native has been calling out welterweight champ Leon Edwards relentlessly since early last year and mentions his double-champ aspirations every chance he gets.

It, however, seems that chances of that may be in very real jeopardy if Belal Muhammad, the man he is backing against Edwards at UFC 304, actually becomes the new 170-pound champ.

Belal Muhammad rules out 170-pound title clash against Islam Makhachev

Belal Muhammad is close to Khabib Nurmagomedov and his Dagestani contingent, including, of course, Islam Makhachev. If ‘Bully B’ defeats Leon Edwards in the UFC 304 main event, he will be over the moon, and so will be Makhachev, as both men consider each other brothers. But it would complicate things between the two men. So, as long as Muhammad holds the title, the Dagestani will never get a shot at the 170-pound gold.

The Chicago native, in a press conference before the Manchester event, told reporters that he will ‘never’ fight Makhachev after becoming champion because of the love he has for the Dagestani champ. Muhammad hoped that since Makhachev had a long way to go before he cleared out the lightweight division, and he himself wanted to move up to 185 for a shot at double-champ status, maybe things would work out so that they both choose to move up a weight class at the same time.

“I mean I would never fight Islam, he’s my brother. So, I think for myself, maybe there’s two and three guys that are next in line after this fight, then I think I win and I have a chance to move up to middleweight. I’m never really looking that far ahead but I think he still got some fighters to fight, I still got some fighters to fight. And then we both could move up,” Muhammad said.

Belal Muhammad had previously suggested that maybe Makhachev move up to middleweight if he wins at UFC 304. The American told Ariel Helwani that the lightweight champ is certainly big, strong, and skilled enough to challenge Dricus Du Plessis for the 185-pound throne. In case the Dagestani fighter wasn’t convinced by the plan, Muhammad painted another picture where both he and Makhachev get what they wanted, and still won’t have to fight each other.

However, he needs to defeat ‘Rocky’ first, which he plans to do in style.

‘Remember the Name’ plans to bully Leon Edwards at his own game

Winning a title is Belal Muhammad’s first priority and the second one is to get rid of the albatross around his neck. A section of fans find his grappling-heavy fighting style and proclivity to win decisions ‘boring’. Muhammad’s low popularity among fans is probably why he has had to wait so long for the title shot. Despite his ten-fight undefeated streak being the clear front-runner, the UFC seems to have only acquiesced to giving the 36-year-old a shot at Edwards.

Against the dangerous and world-class wrestler that is Leon Edwards, Muhammad’s best bet seems to be simple: take the fight to the ground the first chance he gets, and maul the champ there. But that bet would be wrong! To shut up his critics and turn around the ‘boring’ narrative around him, Muhammad has claimed that he may even knockout Edwards, and do it in the first few rounds!

“I’m telling you I am levels above him everywhere. Even when people tell me that the only way I can beat him is laying and praying. I’m telling you I can out-strike him. I could knock him out. The way that I see this fight going, he’s never fought anybody like me,” Muhammad claimed in a recent interview.

What are your predictions for UFC 304? Let us know in the comments below.