Dricus du Plessis believes Belal Muhammad might be mistaken in his recent statements.
The UFC welterweight champion recently criticized the middleweight division, including champion du Plessis, saying that 185 pounds is likely the easiest weight class in the UFC, except for Khamzat Chimaev. He also dismissed the UFC 312 main event, featuring Strickland and du Plessis, as unimpressive.
In response to Muhammad’s comments, du Plessis made his own remarks during an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“Belal Muhammad? I struggle to recall his fighting style,” du Plessis admitted. “Has he ever finished an opponent? … I find it amusing how he acts as if moving up to 185 is his decision. The UFC would never allow it. If he were serious, he’d have to relinquish his welterweight belt and then move up to middleweight, and there’s no chance they’d grant him an immediate title shot. The UFC isn’t even a fan of Belal Muhammad.”
“He hasn’t even defended his title once yet. He’s definitely more effective on social media than in actual fights, to put it mildly.”
Despite both du Plessis and Muhammad being highly ranked fighters, they don’t see each other as potential opponents. Du Plessis is currently ranked No. 6 and Muhammad No. 7 in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings. Du Plessis secured a victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 312, marking his second middleweight title defense and extending his UFC record to 9-0. Muhammad boasts an 11-fight unbeaten streak since 2019, culminating in a dominant decision win against Leon Edwards at UFC 304 last July to win the welterweight title.
Although a fight between them would attract attention, du Plessis views it as a significant mismatch.
“No, it wouldn’t be a fair fight,” du Plessis stated. “If I were to fight Belal Muhammad, it would simply be unfair. Seriously, have you seen his size? What could he possibly do? Is he going to bring someone to assist him? Is he planning to sit on someone’s neck? How would that even work? He’s incredibly small—I was surprised he even competes at 170 when I saw him. I couldn’t believe he fights at welterweight.”
When asked to predict the outcome of a potential fight with Muhammad, du Plessis was concise.
“I’d step on his head, and it would be over,” du Plessis declared. “That’s how that fight would unfold.”
Du Plessis’ comments circulated on social media, prompting a response from Muhammad, who tweeted, “He can barely walk without tripping. He’s not going to touch me.”
While nothing is confirmed, both champions seem to have their next title defenses planned. Du Plessis is expected to face Khamzat Chimaev, and Muhammad is awaiting a rescheduled bout with Shavkat Rakhmonov.
