After finally being let through security, UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad came face to face with his next opponent late last night; the now 19-0, Shavkat Rakhmonov.
While 'Remember the Name' remained respectful when Joe Rogan sat between them, the welterweight champion was keen to share his honest thoughts on the fight when he spoke to the media later in the evening.
Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images
Belal Muhammad reacts to Shavkat Rakhmonov's win at UFC 310
Heading into the final PPV of the year, Shavkat Rakhmonov was widely considered the 'bogeyman' of the welterweight division – and while he still might be, Belal Muhammad noted that the Fog of War had lifted somewhat thanks to his five-round fight. competition with 'De Toekomst'.
“I mean, I think we just learned who the real boogeyman of the division is,” Muhammad teased to Aaron Bronsteter after UFC 310 reached its conclusion.
“I'm the best in the world, there are levels to it and now that I have my next target I can't wait to show them… They have put an aura around him, I'm glad we only have 20 minutes of it – for me it was a high level fight, but you just gave me 20 minutes of extra tape.
“I already thought I was going to walk through you, now you're giving me more time to see what I'm going to do with you, it's only going to get easier.”
As noted by the veteran reporter, Rakhmonov was initially a -230 favorite for Muhammad, but after playing five hard rounds with Ian Machado Garry, the line has moved to around -200.
While we are still several months away from the title fight, such a shift indicates that fans are giving the champion a better chance today than they did less than 24 hours ago.
Muhammad always plays the pantomime villain and jokes that he wants to be an even bigger underdog when the two eventually collide in the UFC octagon.
'I don't want them to do that [back me] Man, I want them to keep losing money and I want the people who like me to keep winning money, so guys, start betting more on Shavkat – let's move this lineup up a bit.
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Shavkat Rakhmonov hopes to fight for the UFC title in April or May next year
Belal Muhammad recently returned to training after recovering from a painful toe injury, an injury so bad that he reportedly even considered amputation as a possible treatment option.
“To be honest, it's just getting back to normal for me. We just started training on Monday…I just want to get healthy, get back to normal, train every day again, and then we'll look at a date.”
While Muhammad doesn't have a specific date in mind for his return to the UFC, Rakhmonov hopes his title shot can be signed by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
“I'm the number one title contender, so hopefully we'll meet maybe in April or May next year,” the undefeated Kazakh said at the post-fight press conference, before teasing that he will soon return to his more devastating ways.
“You know, who doesn't want to break up fights? I did everything I could to do that. Ian has had a great preparation, but I believe I will continue my finishing streak in my next fight.
The final PPV of the year was a roaring success – check out our live blog for all the results from UFC 310.
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