Kamaru Usman says there’s no love misplaced between him and UFC welterweight champ Belal Muhammad.
Each males have fights booked. Muhammad is headlining UFC 315 this Saturday in his first title protection in opposition to Jack Della Maddalena, whereas Usman returns for the primary time in almost two years when he faces Joaquin Buckley in the primary occasion of UFC Atlanta.
Since Muhammad received the title, Usman stated the brand new champ started taking his social media intention at him, and Usman stated he’d moderately speak it out — which they tried to do on an notorious, unreleased episode of his podcast Pound 4 Pound, with co-host Henry Cejudo. Issues bought heated, however no different info was revealed exterior of that, however issues have gotten to a degree that if he bumped into Muhammad backstage at a UFC occasion, it might pop off.
“In all probability,” Usman instructed ESPN MMA. “I say that as a result of, clearly, I’m very level-headed — particularly once I’m exterior of the cage — however for the final virtually two years, 12 months and a half, I haven’t been within the thick of it. There’s a factor, there’s a transition. Whenever you’re not in it, and other people anticipate us to be these fighters and we’re at all times on go mode to the place I’m exterior of the cage, individuals are like, ‘Why are you so calm? You’re a scary fighter.’
“However I’m not like that, and so whenever you’re within the thick of it, you’re on alert. Even me and Georges St-Pierre, we had this dialog the place he expressed that to me. … However now that I’m again within the thick of it, yeah, you most likely must have safety again there with us.”
Muhammad is unbeaten in his previous 11 fights, and has fought his method up the divisional ranks earlier than incomes his title shot at UFC 304 this previous July. “Keep in mind the Title” dominated Leon Edwards to seize UFC gold for the primary time.
Whereas being on such an extended profitable streak is spectacular, title defenses are the important thing stat in relation to being ranked among the many division’s all-time greats. Usman was requested if Muhammad has the flexibility to hitch the likes of Matt Hughes, Georges St-Pierre, and himself, and put collectively a generational run as champ at 170 kilos.
“I feel so,” Usman defined. “I feel so as a result of as a way to actually have a stronghold on a divsion, you need to be adequate all over the place. Within the divisions the place you see [the title] change palms time and again, often the champion is missing some form of talent. …
“And now Belal is in a spot the place [like Hughes, St-Pierre, and myself], he can type of do the whole lot fairly good. We haven’t actually seen his punching energy, however now that he’s champion, give him time to doubtlessly work on being assured in that facet, we’d be capable of see it. So yeah, I feel there’s potential, however that’s solely outlined if you’ll be able to get via all these completely different type of guys like myself, like a Buckley, like a [Michael Morales], like an Ian [Machado] Garry, and Shavkat Rakhmonov. If you’ll be able to get via these several types of challenges, then you’ll be able to say you’ve constructed a pleasant type of legacy for your self.”
