Is Kamaru Usman Ducking Belal Muhammad?

Belal Muhammad believes Kamaru Usman has no interest in fighting him, but is the latter ducking?

Muhammad recently saw his impressive eleven-fight unbeaten streak end, along with his welterweight title, in a loss to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315. With Islam Makhachev now expected to face Della Maddalena for the welterweight title, the door seemed open for a bout between Muhammad and Usman.

Usman, who recently returned to the Octagon at UFC Atlanta to beat Joaquin Buckley by a unanimous decision, ended a three-fight losing streak. The rivalry between Belal and Usman has been there for some time. It stems from a previously unreleased podcast episode they co-hosted with Henry Cejudo.
Cejudo has claimed that the off-air exchange between Muhammad and Usman got physical, with “hands thrown.” However, despite the bad blood, Usman has seemingly shut down the idea of a fight with Belal, citing Muhammad’s lack of a belt. Belal does not see the fight happening anytime soon.

Belal Reacts

“For me, all these guys (have) got to look to fight me. Kamaru Usman is acting like he deserves a heavyweight title fight after beating Buckley, who can’t wrestle, acting like he’s still the champion. I’m like, ‘Bro, you’re 1-3 out of your last four fights.’ You were saying, ‘When I see Belal, it’s on sight.’ So now you have a chance to make it on sight inside the cage, and you’re not doing it. He’s trying to stray away from it. At the end of the day, I’m still the No. 1 guy. So I think whoever fights me, the winner of that fight is going to get next,” Belal said

The fight is a high-risk, low-reward bout for Usman. Belal is best known for his relentless pace, strong wrestling, and ability to win decisions. While Usman is a dominant grappler, Belal has one of the best wrestling and control games. A fight could turn into a grappling-heavy, less entertaining affair. This is the last thing Usman needs as he tries to rebuild his brand, having only secured one win since 2021.  

The fight also does not produce a large purse for Usman. There are legacy-defining fights for a belt or a bout against other leading contenders such as Sean Brady and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Usman is coming off a period where he lost the belt and then lost an immediate rematch. His recent win was crucial, as his aim is to be back into championship contention.