In the cut-throat world of the UFC where athletes are fighting tooth and nail to become champions, it’s a rare sight when someone puts friendship over glory. This dilemma isn’t new. History is filled with fighters who have faced similar choices. Some, like Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez, trained together for years without ever facing each other in the Octagon. Cormier even chose to compete at light-heavyweight to avoid clashing with Velasquez for the heavyweight crown. Others have eventually fought, but only after much internal conflict and often at the behest of the UFC’s matchmaking needs.

While UFC boss Dana White, isn’t a fan of this reluctance, he may find himself dealing with this situation if Belal Muhammad becomes the welterweight champion after UFC 304. With Islam Makhachev, the current lightweight champion, already having made it clear that he’d like to move up to pursue a second title, what will happen when the UFC tries to set up a matchup between the pair?

Islam Makhachev’s dream for double championship could be over with Belal Muhammad’s win at UFC 304

After etching his name in the history books by tying his mentor and friend, Khabib Nurmagomedov, with a third successful title defense of his lightweight crown, Islam Makhachev put the UFC on notice in his post-fight interview. When asked about his ambitions for the future inside the Octagon at UFC 302 following a stellar victory against Dustin Poirier, the Dagestani champion stated, “It’s my dream. I want to fight for the second belt. I want to feel that energy again. Because when you defend your belt, it’s not same. I need new one…”

The welterweight crown that Makhachev’s ‘dream’ involves, is currently held by Leon Edwards. ‘Rocky’ is set to defend his title against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304. But what happens if Muhammad wins the title and becomes the man holding Makhachev’s ‘dream’ title?

Muhammad, an elite welterweight, has a long history with Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team as he has been regularly training with the Dagestani camp to prepare for his fights. This could complicate UFC boss Dana White’s plans to set up a clash between Muhammad and Makhachev for the welterweight title. Muhammad has made his stance clear: “I would never fight him (Islam), 100 percent.”

Makhachev shared the same sentiment during his interview on the ‘Weighing In’ podcast. When asked about the possibility of Muhammad beating Leon Edwards at UFC 304, he hesitated and drew laughter from the hosts. He said, “Belal, he was here now, he just came yesterday… I don’t know brother, I don’t know. We have same manager, we will do something, we will see…”

In this tug-of-war between friendship and ambition, there’s no easy answer. But UFC CEO Dana White has made it clear in the past that despite what the fighters feel, he only has one response to being put in these types of situations!

Dana White blasts fighters for putting friendship over UFC gold

During Aljamain Sterling’s reign as the bantamweight champion in the UFC, his teammate and friend Merab Dvalishvili was on his own tear through the 135 lbs. division. But when it came to the possibility of the two facing each other for the title inside the Octagon, both were vehemently against the idea.

Therefore, when UFC boss Dana White was asked to share his thoughts on the situation during a Contender Series post-fight press conference, he didn’t hold anything back. “Everybody in this room and everybody that watches this video knows how I feel about this s***.  Yeah, I hate it and if that’s — why did you even get into this sport if that’s your mentality in the way that you think? ‘I don’t even want the title, I don’t want the championship. We’re friends, we’re this, we’re that”, a fired-up White proclaimed.

He further went on to claim that the UFC isn’t a place for friendship but rather, “It’s about finding out who the best in the world is. And if you don’t want to find out who the best in the world is this is not the place for you.”

With Islam Makhachev and Belal Muhammad potentially on a collision course, the fighters will have to navigate these complex relationships. Will Makhachev and Muhammad maintain their bond, or will the lure of championship glory force them into the Octagon against each other? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: Dana White won’t be happy if another potential title bout gets derailed by friendship.  What are your thoughts on fighters choosing not to fight their friends inside the Octagon? Do you agree with Dana White’s take on the situation? Let us know in the comments below!