Kamaru Usman is hoping to get his hands on Belal Muhammad sooner rather than later.
“Remember the Name” took Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) Welterweight throne at UFC 304 this past month (July 27, 2024). A sizable underdog against the now-former champion, Leon Edwards, Muhammad pulled through to score the upset via a largely dominant unanimous decision.
Despite the strong performance and extended 11-fight unbeaten streak (24-3, 1 no contest overall), Muhammad couldn’t manage to capture praise from “The Nigerian Nightmare.” The pair have bantered back-and-forth verbally since the title change as Usman hopes to work his way back to championship status before he calls it a career.
“My man, you’re kind of a not-so-good version of myself,” Usman said on Pound 4 Pound. “You’re kind of a — everything he does, I do better. He’s like, ‘Oh, I did what you couldn’t do: I beat Leon Edwards.’ I have a win over Leon Edwards, and in the second fight, I dominated Leon Edwards until lightning struck and he landed the kick.
“Becoming the new champion that goes to your head, it’s like having your first beer,” he concluded. “All of a sudden now you talking reckless to everybody.”
Muhammad, 36, is the division’s sixth undisputed champion since the legendary Georges St-Pierre ruled the roost from 2008 to 2013. Usman was the longest reigning titleholder among the bunch, defending the crown five times before he fell to Edwards in the aforementioned rematch.
Usman, 37, has lost three straight, including his two final bouts against Edwards before his short-notice Middleweight debut against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in October 2023. Chimaev defeated the former champion via a hard-fought majority decision.