The welterweight division is more stacked than ever, with Jack Della Maddalena set to defend his title against Islam Makhachev, who’s moving up a weight class. Their highly anticipated clash will headline UFC 322 on November 15th. Adding to that, another major contender enters the spotlight. Former champion Belal Muhammad is determined to earn another shot at gold as he takes on the undefeated Ian Garry in the co-main event of UFC Qatar, just seven days after the Madison Square Garden blockbuster.
Interestingly, Garry wasn’t the only name Muhammad had his eyes on. The Chicago native had also been pushing for a fight against former welterweight king Kamaru Usman, with whom he’s shared a heated rivalry for years. A potential matchup between the two would have been explosive, but it appears that won’t be happening anytime soon. As Usman recently revealed, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ isn’t interested in facing Muhammad right now and has his sights set directly on the title, making his intentions for another championship run crystal clear.
Kamaru Usman Blatantly Rules Out Potential Belal Muhammad Bout
For the unversed, Usman and Muhammad were allegedly involved in an on-air altercation during the Pound 4 Pound podcast (hosted by Usman and Henry Cejudo) in September 2024, though no full episode or clip of that incident has surfaced.
Looking at recent form, Muhammad lost the 170-pound crown to Della Maddalena at UFC 315 in Montreal, while Usman returned from a three-year absence at UFC Atlanta in June and defeated Joaquin Buckley.
A matchup between two former champions with everything to prove would make huge money, but Usman has made it clear he is not interested in fighting Muhammad. Speaking during a Q&A in Abu Dhabi ahead of UFC 321, Usman was asked about a potential fight with Muhammad and replied.
He said, “We didn’t have a lot of back-and-forth. It was just a lot coming from him. I just think he’s a dork, and what you do with a dork is just ignore them. This is the thing, for someone like myself and Belal Muhammad.”
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😳🇳🇬 Kamaru Usman explains why he isn’t fighting Belal Muhammad next, and he doesn’t hold back:
“I just think he’s a dork, and what you do with a dork is you ignore them – he’s number one in the division, and I’m below him, but I’m looking at the title…
…If I had the title… pic.twitter.com/OhO7qhIRFV
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) October 24, 2025
Usman acknowledged Muhammad’s high ranking but reiterated that his focus is on the title: “Right now, Belal Muhammad is ranked No. 1 in the division, and I’m below him. I’m looking at the title. I’ve been where he hasn’t been.”
Usman then reflected on Muhammad’s short-lived title reign, which ended without a single successful defense. The Palestinian-American had captured the welterweight crown from Leon Edwards at UFC 304, only to lose it to Della Maddalena in his very next outing at UFC 315.
In contrast, Usman’s own championship run between 2019 and 2022 featured five successful title defenses, cementing his status as one of the most dominant welterweights in UFC history.
He explained, “Yes, of course, he’s been the champion, but what happened when it was time for you to defend? I have nothing to gain from fighting Belal Muhammad. He has all to gain. That’s why he’s calling me out. He has all to gain from me.”
Usman made his priorities crystal clear about not wanting to waste time on a fight that doesn’t push him back to gold.
He concluded, “I’m not here to waste time. I want to get the title, and I want to continue on my track of defending and be that champion again. Why waste time with him? If I have the title, and he’s the next guy, I would luckily kick his head in.”
As it stands, Muhammad is booked to face Garry on November 22, while Usman remains without a confirmed fight. The coming months will tell whether Usman gets his shot at reclaiming the belt and launching a second dominant reign.
