Belal Muhammad wants to fight Conor McGregor instead of being a backup fighter for the reported UFC welterweight title fight between the champ Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards at an upcoming event.
Muhammad is coming off a huge victory at last week’s UFC Fight Night main event against Vicente Luque. Despite being the underdog heading into the fight, Belal dominated Luque with his aggressive wrestling and well-timed counter punches.
Evening the score! ????@BullyB170 makes it 8️⃣ wins in a row. #UFCVegas51 pic.twitter.com/fZGzFIQJiX
— UFC (@ufc) April 17, 2022
That victory allowed the 33-year old to break into the Top 5 of the UFC welterweight division. He has replaced Vicente as the 5th ranked fighter in the division. Although he called out Colby Covington after the win this past Saturday, Muhammad has his eyes set on the title.
However, he is realistic about his chances of fighting for the title next. ‘The Bully‘ concedes that Leon Edwards is guaranteed to get the long-awaited title shot. In meantime, he wants to welcome Conor McGregor to the division. In a recent interview with ESPN, he said,
“Also you got the Irish gimp that’s talking about coming up to 170. So I wouldn’t mind slapping him around too. Yeah, we have gone back and forth here and there. He is talking about it. He looks like has juiced up a little. So we’ll be the same size. I’m not the biggest 170 pounder.”
Can a bulked up Conor McGregor beat Belal Muhammad?
Belal Muhammad was referring to McGregor’s change of physic in recent times. Ahead of his return late in the year, Conor has bulked up considerably and he is even talking about fighting the welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 26, 2022
But gaining muscles come at a cost. The more muscular a fighter is, the sooner they gas out. Conor McGregor is already notorious for running out of stamina early on in the fight. Hence, bulking up may not be a good idea ultimately.
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Considering Muhammad’s stature and frame, he will be the perfect opponent for Conor to test out the waters at 170lbs. Belal is a wrestler who has average striking skills. In a way, he is perhaps the gateway for Conor to know how he may fare in a potential fight with Usman.
Although it seems unlikely at this stage of his career, especially after coming off two back to back losses, Conor McGregor can certainly knock Belal Muhammad out. Belal has had issues with his chin previously. But can McGregor last long enough to touch it? Jump in the comments section and let us know!