Muhammad reveals ‘perfect timeline’ for fight against Shavkat Rakhmonov

As reported by MMA Junkie, UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad is already starting the year targeting Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) was expected to face Rakhmonov (19-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in UFC 310 last month, but a bone infection kept him out of competition.

Muhammad has been spending time training with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Training has renewed his interest in fighting again.

Ali Abdelaziz, Muhammad’s manager, told MMA Junkie that Muhammad should be back in the Octagon in May.

“Right after Ramadan, I think. May, June, is the perfect timeline for me. I started last week training with those guys down in Vegas. That was a nice shock to the body,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie. “It got me awoken. It let me know, ‘All right, we’ve got to get in shape-shape. So, it just feels good to be training. I was at the PI. I was doing therapy every day over there, so my body is finally getting back to normal and finally getting back to where it was.”

Muhammad withdrew from UFC 310, Rakhmonov faced Ian Machado Garry in a five-round welterweight bout. Rakhmonov was able to fend off Machado Garry’s late surge, going the distance for the first time in his career.

Many around the UFC think Rakhmonov lost his aura of invincibility after that fight, but Muhammad has a plan.

“There’s not a lot of guys who ever fought a guy like me, so once you get into the cage with me, it’s different. He’s going to get into the cage with me, realize it’s different, and there’s levels to this. I’m going to show the world why I’m the best welterweight in the world,” Muhammad said.

It will be interesting to see if Muhammad’s meticulousness will pay off against Rackhmonov.