Belal Muhammad Returns at UFC 315 🥊
Start your camp right now. Whatever you have in line, whatever you have in store… – Belal Muhammad
A 10-fight win streak, including a recent and dominant UFC welterweight title win over Leon Edwards, has all led to UFC 315, this Saturday, live from the Centre Bell in Quebec, Canada.
Belal ‘Remember the Name’ Muhammad will make his maiden UFC title defense, and there’s a good chance that with another dub, nobody will ever forget his name again.
With his championship mindset, Belal is preparing not only for Jack Della Maddalena but also for Ian Machado Garry. The Irishman has been announced as the official backup fighter should something fall through with JDM.
Belal has also been touted as a complete fighter by George St-Pierre, one of the greatest welterweights in UFC history.
Belal Muhammad says he isn’t shooting a single takedown and will box with Jack Della Maddalena 😳 #UFC315 pic.twitter.com/IwLm8mzhvX
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 5, 2025
So, the world of Belal seems to be glowing positively compared to the past consensus that labelled him a fraud and unable to compete with the 170lb’s finest. Surprisingly, he’ll enter UFC 315 on the UFC betting odds as a favorite, which will be the first time since his fight with Demian Maia in 2021!
As crazy as it sounds, Belal’s title run has been plagued with doubt. Stephen Thompson, Vincente Luque, Sean Brady, Gilbert Burns, and his title opportunity against Edwards, each labelled Belal as the betting underdog, and each and every time he proved the doubters wrong.
Finally, some respect is on Belal’s name – he’s a -206 favorite over JDM – now that he holds the gold, but with Islam Makhachev, the pound-for-pound No,1, topping UFC rumors with a potential move to the welterweight division, what’s the odds that we’ll see these friends go head-to-head in the octagon?
FIIIIIIGHT WEEEEEK!!!!!! #UFC315 is LIVE SATURDAY on @espn+ PPV! pic.twitter.com/pusG3cX7Nd
— danawhite (@danawhite) May 5, 2025
Muhammad Has a Message for Makhachev
Those hoping that Makhachev will fight the winner of Belal and Maddalena might have to prepare for disappointment.
While Makhachev made it clear that he wants to become a two-division champion following his record-breaking lightweight win at UFC 311, he and Muhammad are teammates, and the latter has stated on several occasions that he’s unwilling to fight the Russian.
Belal Muhammad reacts to reports that Islam Makhachev is waiting on the outcome of his fight against JDM:
“Now they’re waiting to see what happens this weekend, but I would get your fight signed because I’m not leaving Montreal without the belt.
I’m still gonna be the champ,… pic.twitter.com/bbtvnt6wBp
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 5, 2025
I must note that, sure, Muhammad has trained alongside Makhachev, but they aren’t lifelong MMA buddies by any means. So, this could be nothing more than an excuse because who in their right mind would want to compete against Makhachev?
Smart move, Belal, smart…
Anyhow, with UFC fights and rumors involving Makhachev and a welterweight move ramping up, Muhammad has sent a clear message to his “friend.”
“We’ve talked about, he said, ‘Oh man, you’ve ruined my plans’, it’s one of those things. Now they’re waiting to see what happens this weekend, but I tell them, like, I would get your (next) fight signed because I’m not leaving Montreal without the belt, I’m still gonna be the champ,” Belal said during his interview on the Anik & Florian podcast.
“So, start your camp right now. Whatever you have in line, whatever you have in store, you’re good,” he added.
Trouble in paradise?
Belal Muhammad tells Islam Makhachev to get a fight booked without waiting for the result of his fight at UFC 315👀 pic.twitter.com/mzaaxbhvfn
— MMA On Point (@OnPointMMA) May 5, 2025
Islam Makhachev’s Next Opponent?
Win or lose this weekend at UFC 315, Belal Muhammad has a long list of potential opponents available for his next title defense. The same, however, cannot be said for Makhachev, who’s cleared out a lot of contenders in the lightweight division.
It seems that Belal is adamant that he won’t fight Makhachev, but where does this leave the Russian?
praying for Belal Muhammad to win so we get Islam vs Topuria pic.twitter.com/0M6xORxVrX
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) May 6, 2025
Ilia Topuria has been calling for his lightweight debut against Makhachev, but the Russian has said that ‘La Leyenda’ needs a win at 155 lbs before they fight. Outside of said fight, there are no clear contenders for Makahchev, so what’s the answer?
Makhachev hasn’t been as vocal regarding his friendship with Belal, which could mean that he’s willing to push beyond the friend zone and scrap it out for the 170 lb gold should Belal successfully defend this weekend.
As fans, we’d much rather see Topuria vs. Makhachev announced in UFC news, but can you just picture the trolling of Belal should he have to fight Makhachev next, after all the “friendship” claims he’s made that haven’t been so prominent out of Makhachev’s mouth?
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