Former welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman’s run as divisional pacesetter within the UFC has been known as into heavy query by present divisional kingpin, Belal Muhammad — who ripped the previous pound-for-pound primary as a “coward” throughout his championship reign.
Usman, the present quantity three ranked welterweight challenger, has been sidelined since October of 2023, most lately struggling a controversial majority resolution loss in opposition to unbeaten middleweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev in Abu Dhabi in a short-notice showdown.
The defeat got here as Auchi veteran, Usman’s third on the trot — following a title rematch and subsequent rubber match trilogy loss to fellow ex-champion, Leon Edwards in his final three outings.
And but to e book his comeback to the Octagon amid continued hypothesis over his preventing future — Usman had beforehand issued a stark warning to his counterparts at 170lbs forward of a deliberate return to energetic competitors.
“For those of you who keep thinking I’m not fighting because I’m choosing not to fight, like all these stupid fighters running their mouths,” Kamaru Usman defined. “No one is scared of any of you. I’ve been at the top of the division, pound-for-pound, with an iron fist spanking all of y’all for a while.”
“When I am healthy, I will get in there,” Kamaru Usman stated. “I want to fight. I can’t wait to fight to whoop one of y’all. So shut your mouth, all of you stupid welterweights, shut your mouth and wait for when I am healthy again. I’ll fight all of you, I don’t care. Just be patient, okay? Thank you. 2025 will be a great year for everybody.”
Belal Muhammad hits out at Kamaru Usman’s title reign at welterweight
Nonetheless, a particular naysayer of Usman has come within the type of present welterweight titleholder, Muhammad — who hit out on the former welterweight champion’s reign atop the division.
“That’s the thing when Kamaru was champion he wasn’t looking for tests,” Muhammad stated throughout an interview with MMA Combating. “He was a coward champion. He was the champion with ‘oh let me get the rematch with Colby [Covington], who sucks’ or ‘let me get the rematch with [Jorge] Masvidal.’ His reign was rematches.”
“He never wanted to fight the next best guy. He never wanted the guy on the hot streak. He avoided those guys, avoided those tough tests. He was the coward champion. He wasn’t looking for the toughest tests. He wasn’t that guy.”
