Belal Muhammad shocked many fans this weekend at UFC 304. He took on Leon Edwards and put on an absolute clinic and wrestled the belt away from the incumbent champion in his own back yard. Now, all eyes are looking forward to what’s next for the new welterweight king. Let’s explore his top three options!
The obvious choice: Shavkat Rakhmonov
The next choice for Belal Muhammad is quite cut and dry. Since joining the UFC in 2020, Shavkat Rakhmonov has been downright scary. He’s finished every single fighter he’s faced since joining the promotion. But it’s not just that he’s finished his opposition, it’s how.
Stephen Thompson has never been finished in a fight. That was until Shavkhat Rakhmonov did just that. He defeated Geoff Neal with a standing rear naked choke. Carlston Harris lost after getting smashed with a spinning hook kick and then ground and pound. Before the UFC he’s had referees stoppages, corner’s stoppage, body punch finishes, and more.
Belal says he wants Shavkat, Ian Garry and JDM. That’s what I like to hear. Remember when champs used to call out Nate Diaz lol pic.twitter.com/sKEgBaLzAF
— Dan (@BestFightPicks) July 28, 2024
Muhammad said in his post fight press conference that he’s ready for the next contenders, mentioning Ian Machado-Garry, Jack Della Maddelena, and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Rakhmonov is currently ranked third behind Usman and Belal Muhammad. With Edwards losing, Rakhmonov could see himself leapfrog Usman or Edwards and put his 18-0 record on the line against the UFC’s newly crowned welterweight king.
Belal Muhammad vs. Leon Edwards 3? Not so fast.
The inclination by many is to give a champion an immediate rematch. Leon Edwards was on a 12-0-1 run before Belal Muhammad snapped the streak, extending his own unbeaten streak to 10-0-1. Edwards dethroned the top pound for pound fighter, beat him again, and defended against Colby Covington. While this is an option for Muhammad, I don’t see it as likely.
The few times Belal Muhammad used his jab pic.twitter.com/OGt94OtbDl
— Phantom Punch Breakdowns (@9h6st21_mma) July 26, 2024
Belal Muhammad had some choice words about how he was treated by Edwards before UFC 304. “I’ll give him a rematch in 3 years. Let him work his way back up,” said Muhammad. This is a nod to Edwards denying Muhammad a rematch after the two fought in 2021. That fight ended unceremoniously when Edwards poked Muhammad in the eye and the fight was declared a no contest.
Muhammad fought his way up through the rankings and was forced to wait for a title shot. Now that Muhammad is calling the shots, he will make that call if he can convince the UFC brass the same. Welterweight has been log jammed with Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards fighting in a near perfect round robin. There are contenders. The Shavkat’s, Ian Garry’s, Jack Della’s. Those contenders are looking for, and deserve a way in.
A legacy fight?
What’s crazy to me is that a post-prime no-knees Usman could potentially become a champion again, genuinely think he beats Belal without much difficulty
— JDK (@JDillaThaKilla) July 28, 2024
With even less of a shot than Leon Edwards getting a rematch, Kamaru Usman is an option for Belal Muhammad’s next title defense. He’s lost his last three fights, but there are some caveats. His last loss was at middleweight to Khamzat Chimaev. Before that, he was the top pound for pound fighter and was beat in the last second by Leon Edwards, and then beat convincingly by Edwards again.
Belal Muhammad vs. Kamaru Usman would be a fresh matchup for both fighters. The issue is that Usman arguably does not deserve a title shot on a three fight losing streak. If Usman wants the next shot, he needs to get booked and win quick and convincingly. It doesn’t matter if it’s Shavkat Rakhmonov or Sean Brady. He needs a win.
Circling back, it’s only Shavkat Rakhmonov that truly makes sense for Belal Muhammad’s first title defense. Everything else comes with mental gymnastics to make sense of the booking.
