Daniel Cormier believes the showdown between Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 did more harm than good.
Undefeated UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov scored another big win and solidified his fight at UFC 310, defeating former teammate Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision despite a few scares from Garry on the ground in the late round.
After earning the win at UFC 310, Rakhmonov called on Octagon side Belal Muhammad to come into the cage for a face-to-face meeting. Despite some issues with Mohammed and cage security, he and Rakhmonov eventually faced off, but things remained amicable between the two sides, leaving the Octagon after a handshake.
The fans in attendance didn't seem to embrace the confrontation with any extra excitement, and Daniel Cormier believes the whole thing was a mistake by both Rakhmonov and Muhammad.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Daniel Cormier criticizes the banter without a translator between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Belal Muhammad
During a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Cormier responded to the confrontation between Mohammed and Rakhmonov.
'I have to be honest, it was strange… I don't like confrontations when you have a translator, especially not like Belal [Muhammad]As much as people want to hate him, he is not a disrespectful man,” Cormier said of Muhammad/Rakhmonov. “So it's not that moment you're looking for when you bring a champion [Octagon].
“When [Alexander Volkanovski] came in after Topuria beat Max, they shook hands and it was very respectful, but you understood what they were saying,” Cormier continued. “When [Sean O’Malley] was in there and he was about to fight Aljo for the belt, Merab takes the jacket, that makes a memory. I think tonight didn't serve the purpose that you want as a promotion in terms of what you're going to do to try to build that fight.
Muhammad and Rakhmonov were set to headline UFC 310 before Muhammad withdrew due to a toe infection. A timeline for his return is uncertain at the time of writing, although the UFC will likely look to rebook the bout for the first half of 2025.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Shavkat Rakhmonov solidifies #1 contender at UFC 310
Muhammad earned the UFC welterweight title by dethroning Leon Edwards by unanimous decision at UFC 304. He is undefeated in his last 11 fights, including recent victories over Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady.
Rakhmonov proved that his previous sparring sessions with Garry did not reflect how their clash would go. After defeating Garry, the undefeated competitor has Mohammed's UFC world title in sight.
Rakhmonov has become a UFC fan favorite amid his success in the Octagon. Muhammad, meanwhile, has failed to capture the hearts of the majority of UFC fans despite his run to the title.
Cormier hopes confrontations with at least one non-English fluent fighter will be avoided. Regardless, Muhammad vs. Rakhmonov will move on to 2025, although it's uncertain how the fight will play out from a pay-per-view draw perspective.
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