Belal Muhammad lauds Islam Makhachev as he looks to break Anderson Silva's record at UFC 330 against Ian Machado Garry

Islam Makhachev is on the verge of surpassing MMA legend Anderson "The Spider" Silva in a certain regard -- by possibly breaking the Brazilian fighter's record of most consecutive wins (16 straight victories) in the UFC. 

Former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, who's trained with Makhachev in the past, had words of high praise for the Dagestani combatant ahead of the latter's next fight. 

Belal Muhammad's recent RAF happenings and Islam Makhachev's upcoming MMA bout set fans abuzz

Belal Muhammad is on a three-fight skid in the UFC. That said, "Remember the Name" got his hand raised against UFC veteran Ben Askren -- who competed in his final wrestling match after last year's health setbacks -- at RAF 11 on July 18. Muhammad outpointed Askren by a margin of 6-3 in the freestyle wrestling contest. 

Moreover, Muhammad later got into a brawl with RAF 11 headliner and inaugural RAF cruiserweight crossover champion Colby Covington.

The RAF brass announced that Covington would defend the belt against Muhammad at RAF 12 in Cleveland on August 22. "Chaos" later claimed the match was off, but RAF CEO Chad Bronstein clarified that it's still on. Bronstein suggested that if Covington vs. Muhammad doesn't materialize at RAF 12, it'll surely happen at another event. 

On the other hand, Islam Makhachev, who previously reigned as the UFC lightweight champion, captured the UFC welterweight belt by outpointing Jack Della Maddalena last year. 

Makhachev is currently booked to defend the welterweight belt against Ireland's Ian Machado Garry. The Dagestani MMA star will headline the UFC 330 card against Garry in Philadelphia on August 15. 

A number of fight fans have been abuzz about Makhachev's highly anticipated return. Many believe he'd solidify his legacy as an all-time great in mixed martial arts, should he create a new record of most consecutive wins in UFC history with his 17th straight victory inside the octagon. 

Anderson Silva, an ex-UFC middleweight champion and an MMA icon, has long held that UFC record. 

Belal Muhammad lauds Islam Makhachev, explains how difficult it is to accomplish what the Dagestani MMA great has done in the UFC

Speaking to Mike Bohn on MMA Junkie, Belal Muhammad reaffirmed his belief that former interim UFC welterweight champion and reigning RAF titlist Colby Covington is evading a fight against him. He accused the retired MMA star of ducking him in the UFC and avoiding their imminent wrestling match in the RAF. 

Furthermore, when asked about Islam Makhachev's return at UFC 330 and his iconic 16-fight win streak, Muhammad was all praise for his Dagestani counterpart. The Chicago-born fighter of Palestinian descent stated: 

"It's crazy, right? It's so easy to lose in this sport. Anything can happen. You could literally walk and slip, and catch something or get caught with something. So what he (Islam Makhachev) is doing is wild; now to do it at two weight classes is even bigger."

He added, "I don't think that people understand how hard it is to put that big of a streak on, or get a double-digit streak in the UFC. It's one of the craziest things. And then you're fighting the best guys in the world every single time."

Muhammad continued, "But, yeah, I mean, that's gonna put him close to that Mount Rushmore, right? At what point do you be like, 'Oh, he belongs up there.' Like, they're not mentioning his name." 

Watch Belal Muhammad direct plaudits at Islam Makhachev below (*comments at the 16:50-minute mark of the video):