UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad may still have Shavkat Rakhmonov in his sights, but 'remember the name' already has one eye on the division above him.
As a UFC hunter at the top level, changing weight classes can often be a double-edged sword.
Although moving divisions can offer fighters the opportunity to reach new levels of fame and fortune, such a movement also brings its own unique series of challenges – Cue Popular Power Puncher and top 170 pounds of competition, Joaquin 'New Mansa' Buckley.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
UFC champion Belal Muhammad warned of moving to 185 pounds
The Welterweight champion has long been vocally about his desire to go to the middleweight and to challenge Dricus du Plessis for a second UFC title.
Joaquin Buckley is one of the few top candidates who participated in both weight classes and has now sent a strict warning to Muhammad about the lack of success he would find in the middleweight division.
'You have seen Belal Muhammad talk [how] He wants to go up and that he can be double champion – Belal, imma warn you now, you don't have the tools neither the weapons to beat a person as a dricus [Du Plessis]”New Mansa” stated via his YouTube channel.
“You will not be able to bring down a buddy, I am just honest with you, nor can you disable it with your cushion hands …
“And no matter how much you think you see gaps in your game; Even if you beat Dricus together, he just keeps coming and coming and coming – he's not going to stop. “
Buckley started his UFC official period at 185 pounds and found only limited success, went 5-4 between 2020 and 2022, which suffered three rather brutal knockout losses in the process.
For comparison, since he has been dropping off to Welterweight, 'New Mansa' went 6-0 with Buckley's best victory against Colby Covington in UFC Tampa last December.
Back to the wishes of Belal Muhammad to leave the Welterweight scene and the striking St. Louis warned that Dricus du Plessis' would beat in a way that you have never defeated before.
“If you are a 170 pound hunter that goes up, I tell you that they are getting a little different there – believe me, I know. That's why my A – went to 170, I swear for God. “
Belal Muhammad insists that he will leave the UFC title for Islam Makhachev
In a recent interview with Barstool Chicago, Belal Muhammad was asked what he would do as a dominant lightweight champion Islam Makhachev also decided to go on a UFC division.
“I would never fight against Islam because it is different for both me and him,” he answered and explained how their relationship stays very different from other potential UFC rivals.
“We have trained together and if you sweat with someone, bleed with someone and so train, it is just another relationship … It would not be about the money for me or him, I assume, so I would never want to go to To do that, and they helped me so much.
“So for me I would rather go until 185 pounds and just let him take 170 pounds if that is the case,” he claimed before he took another wipe in the South African.
“I train with bigger boys; I have felt their strength and like 185 pounds is probably the easiest weighing class – except Khamzat [Chimaev]… as if you look at it [UFC 312] Main event, you are like bro, [Sean] Strickland and Du Plessis suck. '
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