Belal Muhammad: Middleweight Division Easiest in UFC, Except for Khamzat Chimaev

UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has expressed his opinion that the middleweight division is significantly less challenging than his current weight class. In a recent interview, Muhammad discussed potential future moves and his thoughts on other divisions.

When asked about the possibility of facing his training partner Islam Makhachev, Muhammad reiterated his lack of interest in such a matchup. Instead, he suggested that if he were to seek a new challenge, he would consider moving up to the middleweight division.

Muhammad stated, “I’d prefer to move up to 185 pounds and allow Makhachev to take over at 170. Having already fought my way to the top of the welterweight division, beating five top-10 opponents, I’m only a couple of fights away from potentially challenging for the middleweight title and becoming a two-division champion.”

The welterweight champion went on to share his perspective on the middleweight division, saying, “In my opinion, the 185-pound weight class is probably the easiest in the UFC, with the exception of Khamzat Chimaev. When you look at the recent UFC 312 main event between Strickland and du Plessis, it’s not particularly impressive.”

Muhammad has yet to defend his welterweight title. He was originally scheduled to face Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 in December, but an injury forced him to withdraw from the bout. Rakhmonov went on to defeat Ian Machado Garry, who stepped in as a replacement, and is now expected to challenge for the title later this year.