After finally being let through by security, UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad came face-to-face with his next opponent late last night; the now 19-0, Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Whilst ‘Remember the Name’ remained respectful when Joe Rogan was in between them, the welterweight champion was keen to share his honest thoughts on the fight when he spoke to the media later in the evening.
Belal Muhammad reacts to Shavkat Rakhmonov’s victory at UFC 310
Heading into the final PPV of the year, Shavkat Rakhmonov was widely considered to be the ‘bogeyman’ of the welterweight division – and whilst he still might be, Belal Muhammad noted that the Fog of War had been somewhat lifted thanks to his five-round contest with ‘The Future’.
Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images
“I mean, I think we just learned who the real bogeyman of the division is,” Muhammad teased to Aaron Bronsteter after UFC 310 came to its conclusion.
“I’m the best in the world, there’s levels to this and now that I’ve got my next target, I can’t wait to show them… They put this aura around him, I’m glad we just got 20 minutes of it – for me, it was a high-level fight, but you just gave me 20 minutes extra of tape.
“I already thought that I was going to walk through you, now you’re giving me more time to see what I’m going to do to you, it’s only going to be easier.”
As noted by the veteran reporter, Rakhmonov was initially a -230 favorite to Muhammad, but after going five hard rounds with Ian Machado Garry, the line has moved to around -200.
Whilst we’re still several months away from that title fight going down, such a shift does indicate that fans give the champion more of a chance today, than they did less than 24 hours ago.
Always playing the pantomime villain, Muhammad would joke that he wants to be an even bigger underdog when the two eventually come to blows in the UFC octagon.
“I don’t want them to [back me] man, I want them to keep losing money and I want the people who like me to keep winning money, so guys, start putting more bets on Shavkat – let’s get this line up a little bit higher.”
Shavkat Rakhmonov hopes to fight for UFC title in ‘April or May’ next year
Belal Muhammad recently returned to training after recovering from a painful toe injury, one that was so bad that he reportedly even considered amputation as a possible treatment option.
“Honestly, for me, it’s just getting back to normal. We just started training on Monday… I just want to get healthy, get back to normal, get back to training every single day, and then we’ll look at a date.”
Whilst Muhammad doesn’t have a specific date in mind for his UFC return, Rakhmonov hopes that his title shot could be signed for by the end of Q1 2025.
“I’m the number one title contender, so hopefully maybe April or May next year we will face each other,” said the undefeated Kazakh at the post-fight press conference, before teasing that he’ll soon get back to his more devastating ways.
“You know, who doesn’t want to finish fights? I did everything in my power to do so. Ian had a great preparation, but I believe that in my next fight, I’ll continue my finishing streak.”
The final PPV of the year was a rip-roaring success – check out our live blog for all the results from UFC 310.