Belal Muhammad wants to be UFC champion again
Belal Muhammad is in a hurry to get the UFC welterweight title back.
“Remember the Name” has his first fight booked since dropping that championship to Jack Della Maddalena this past May as he takes on Ian Machado Garry in the co-main event of UFC Qatar on Nov. 22. Garry had previously called for a matchup with Muhammad and now, with the welterweights in prime position to make a mark on the contender picture, Muhammad warns Garry to be careful what he wishes for.
“You talked,” Muhammad said on his YouTube channel. “You begged. You pleaded. You tweeted. You made stupid videos. We obliged. November 22, Ian Garry, I’m going to see you in Qatar. Let’s see if you back up all the talk. Let’s see if you’re ready for it.”
Garry enters his duel with Muhammad having bounced back from his first-ever loss by outpointing Carlos Prates in the main event of UFC Kansas City this past April. The fight had some hairy moments as the Brazilian striker came on strong and hurt Garry in the closing moments of Round 5, but Garry eventually went on to take a convincing decision.
If Muhammad puts Garry in the same kind of trouble, he vows to seal the deal.
“You’re cocky,” Muhammad said. “You’re young. You only have one loss [to Shavkat Rakhmonov] that you’re proud of because you didn’t get finished but this is a different animal. You’ve never been in the cage with anybody like me. You’ve never seen anybody like me and on November 22, you’re gong to be broken like you’ve never been broken before.
“We’ve already seen you on the ground, butt in the air, close to being broken. Prates just couldn’t finish the job. When I’m in there with you, I’m going to beat you up. It’s going to be a bad day, a bad night for you. I just want to get this loss off my back. I need to get back on the right side. I’m the best in the division. I know I’m the best in the division. November 22, I get to prove it again. I get to go out there, dominate, and then get back to where I belong and that’s for the welterweight title.”
Reigning welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena is currently scheduled to defend his title at UFC 322 on Nov. 15 against Islam Makhachev, who recently vacated the lightweight title to pursue a second championship. After the dust settles on that contest, contenders will be lining up for the next shot and Muhammad thinks a win in Qatar puts him at the front.
“All these other guys want to wait, sit out, do nothing,” Muhammad said. “Me and Ian are ready to fight. I think it’s the No. 1 contender fight. It’s the biggest fight in the division other than the title fight and it makes the most sense. I haven’t lost in six years. I hate to be reminded of it, but I’m going to keep looking at it, thinking about it. I’m not going to have that taste in my mouth again. I’m never going to experience that again. Ian Garry, you picked the wrong guy, you picked the wrong date. November 22, the future’s not bright. See you soon, boy.”
Category: General Sports
