UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad criticised former champion, Kamaru Usman for inactivity. Usman has lost his last three fights and has not fought since he stepped up to fight Khamzat Chimaev on short notice at UFC 294 in October 2023 at middleweight. His last fight at Welterweight was over two years ago against Leon Edwards for the welterweight championship back in March 2023.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Muhammad said “He’s had over two years off. He’s a podcaster now. He just likes to talk.” Muhammad added “He wants to stay relevant, so whenever there’s a big name or big fight coming up, he’ll say something and he’ll give thoughts, or he’ll post a picture with Stylebender in the gym just to get, Oh, maybe Kamaru is training for something, is he doing something? At the end of the day, there are a lot hungrier guys, guys who really want it, and there’s guys that are there right now that have deserved it and earned it.”
Usman and Muhammad have previously clashed, with Muhammad’s appearance on Usman and Henry Cejudo’s podcast allegedly resulting in a brawl between the pair.
Usman’s next fight?
Despite his inactivity in the welterweight division, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ still sits at number four in the rankings, with a number of potential matchups at the top of the division for the former champion. Usman called out Sean Brady following his victory over former Welterweight champion Leon Edwards at UFC London last month.
Speaking on his Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman said “Hey, this has the potential to be one of those fights. I like Sean Brady. I like the way he approaches the game and of course he’s training with Din Thomas now, so that adds an extra element to the game. I like both, but I want to keep that streak of beating all of Din Thomas’ guys. I whooped at least three of his guys so I want to keep that streak going, but I like that matchup.”
A victory over Sean Brady could potentially secure Usman a shot at the title, with Sean Brady currently sitting in the number one contender position. Number six ranked Joaquin Buckley has also thrown his hat in the ring for a fight against Usman as he called him out back in December following his knockout victory of Colby Covington. This would be another intriguing matchup, as both fighters possess devastating power and would provide Usman with a unique challenge.
Subscribe
