Belal Muhammad is likely over the moon owing to Dana White’s latest announcement. Having finally gotten the title shot he so desperately has been trying to make a case for, the fighter is wasting no time. As such, with preparations already underway, Belal has once again reunited with Islam Makhachev.
For those unaware, UFC CEO and President Dana White recently announced the promotion’s return to the UK. In what will be their seventh PPV event on English soil, Leon Edwards will defend his welterweight title against the undeniable Belal Muhammad at UFC 304. In a fight that has been in the making for quite some time now, Muhammad will finally get his rematch against Edwards.
Your #UFC304 main event is here! 🙌@Leon_EdwardsMMA vs @BullyB170 & @AspinallMMA vs @RazorBlaydes265 will meet in the Octagon in Manchester! 🇬🇧 🏆
Don’t miss out on tickets: https://t.co/c2A7hqsw4q pic.twitter.com/PL0VoYDRbE
— UFC (@ufc) May 16, 2024
Previously, the two locked horns at UFC Vegas 21 wherein the fight ended prematurely owing to Belal Muhammad suffering an accidental eye poke. Since then, he has been hunting for a rematch against the Englishman and after more than three years, he will finally see his wish fulfilled.
Belal Muhammad is training alongside Islam Makhachev for UFC 304
For the most part, Belal Muhammad has been calling for a title shot ever since his win against Sean Brady at UFC 280. With many fans still unconvinced about his credentials as a top fighter, he was then thrown in against Gilbert Burns at UFC 288. On the night, Muhammad delivered a dominant performance, closing out with a unanimous decision victory over a concussed Burns.
However, after much deliberation about who gets the title shot, the UFC has seemingly settled on Belal to get this rematch against Leon Edwards. With the fight rumored to be targeted for UFC 300, Belal has been hard at work preparing for the fight even before it was touted by the UFC. Currently training alongside Islam Makhachev at Nick Catone MMA & Fitness in New Jersey, Belal was pleasantly surprised with the UFC 304 announcement.
Alhamdillah Thought this day would never come gods timing is the best timing… Main event Muhammad pic.twitter.com/lbWIzHbano
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) May 16, 2024
As such, he was then congratulated by Islam, along with Khabib’s cousin and Bellator lightweight champ Usman Nurmagomedov, among others. Thus, one can assume that Belal Muhammad is helping Makhachev in preparations for his upcoming fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, set to take place in Newark, New Jersey. That said, it is hardly the first time Belal has worked with the UFC lightweight champ.
Belal Muhammad has high praise for Islam Makhachev
Previously, in hopes of furthering his career and learning from some of the best in the game, Belal Muhammad sought training and counsel from Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. Ahead of his fight against then-undefeated prospect Sean Brady, Belal made the move to Russia to train and learn the ways of the Dagestani fighters.
During his time training with Khabib and Islam, Belal gained a lot of insight and knowledge which has since propelled him into title contention. Whilst Khabib was the more serious and strict teacher, Islam was always the calmer, nicer teacher and would often demonstrate things to the Palestinian fighter. As a result, he also praised the lightweight champion for his actions:
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“Islam is nice. He’ll tell you what you need to do and you need to do this way. And, he’ll show me the technique with it. When Khabib’s on top of you, he’s like breaking me at every single point… and he’s like, ‘No brother. You just got to keep going.’”
That said, seeing that their union has been fruitful in the past, it is good to see them back at it again. With the roles seemingly reversed for now, it is expected that Islam Makhchev will play a key role in helping Belal Muhammad prepare for UFC 304. Seeing that he has already dominated Leon Edwards in training, Islam is the lead authority on how to beat the Englishman, something that could turn the tides in Belal’s favor.