“I hope you keep your word and defend your title against me when you’re ready, champ,” wrote Shavkat Rakhmonov after Belal Muhammad stunned the world by defeating Leon Edwards at UFC 304. ‘Remember The Name’ made sure that the world knows his name after his spectacular victory. After the win, undefeated Kazakh star Rakhmonov congratulated Muhammad and called him out for a fight. ‘Remember The Name’ accepted the fight, however, Dana White might not set the fight.
Shavkat Rakhmon͏ov has͏ been one͏ ͏of͏ the scaries͏t fighte͏rs in the division. With a͏ record ͏of 18 victories a͏nd͏ 0 los͏ses, and a ͏100% fini͏sh rate, ͏Rakhmonov is͏ n͏ext in͏ ͏l͏i͏ne for͏ the 170͏ lbs ͏title in the eyes of many. How͏ever,͏ acc͏ordin͏g to a UFC ͏insider, the UF͏C ͏S͏upremo͏ may not prov͏ide͏ ͏him ͏with the f͏ight.͏
Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov might not happen as per UFC insider
Wrestling found a new meaning at the Belal Muhammad vs. Leon Edwards fight. Muhammad threw nine takedowns against Edwards this past weekend and that’s what helped him gain the victory. The world was stunned, and the division was under threat as a new face emerged, poised to dominate them. Shavkat Rakhmonov was the first man to directly challenge Muhammad after the victory and the new champ immediately accepted it, “Yeah of course [I’d be willing to fight Shavkat], I’ve literally never turned down a fight, I’ve never backed down from anybody [since] I’ve had so many people turn down fights against me,” said Muhammad at the post-fight press conference.
So is Rakhmonov vs. Muhammad the next star-studded match at the 170 lbs division? The MMA community might think that this is what the promotion wants but the reality is much different. According to UFC insider, Chael Sonnen, the promotion might not let that fight happen, “Colby Covington has a skill and an ability to get things going unlike anybody else. Kamaru Usman can’t be forgotten, and I’m throwing those names at you to get you going. I want to get you thinking about the comment section. I’m not making a prediction; I’m just throwing names at you. But before you say Shavkat Rakhmonov should be next or Ian Gary should be next—and they’re undefeated—I hear you.”
He further added, “But you don’t mean that. You don’t think either one of them is ready to headline a pay-per-view opposite Belal Muhammad. No, you don’t. You don’t think either one of them is ready to sit down at a press conference opposite Leon Edwards and entice and entertain a crowd. So, it’s food for thought. It’s an incredible night for Muhammad. I’d love to hear what you think. Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington—who do you want to see stand across from the new champ?”
Sonnen emphasizes that the promotion would most likely have Colby Covington or Kamaru Usman as a champion before giving the title shot to Shavkat Rakhmonov. So what will be the fate of the 170 lbs division?
What’s next for the welterweight division?
Belal Muhammad changed the timeline when he clinched the victory against Leon Edwards at UFC 304. The welterweight division was already dormant for quite some time but now the fate lies in the hands of Dana White. Well, what’s next? Can we witness an immediate rematch between Edwards and Muhammad? ‘Remember The Name’ has already answered the question when he was speaking with the media, Muhammad stated, “Yeah, I’ll give him a rematch in three years. Let him work his way back up.” The CEO later confirmed that Edwards was not going to get an immediate rematch either.
So if not Edwards then whom? If we were to go by Chael Sonnen’s words then the UFC might either push Kamaru Usman or Colby Covington for the fight but there’s a question mark to this equation as well. Why? Well, it’s because of the fact that Belal Muhammad might not want to fight with them. Covington has no ranked wins at the moment and lost three title fights. Usman has not won a fight at welterweight since losing to Edwards at UFC 278 in 2022.
The next probable candidates for the welterweight belt are Ian Garry, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and Jack Della Maddalena. Of the three, only Rakhmonov and Maddalena are in the top five. So a changing of the guard might be on the horizon for the welterweight division in the near future.
We can’t say what’s next for the 170 lbs division for now but one thing’s for sure and that’s the fact that the division is in for a treat.