Belal Muhammad knows just winning on Saturday won’t be enough. With Islam Makhachev now the UFC’s new welterweight champion and fellow contenders Michael Morales and Carlos Prates turning heads with violent finishes at UFC 322, Muhammad understands he has to deliver something big of his own against Ian Machado Garry at UFC Fight Night 265.
The former champion meets Machado Garry (16-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) in the co-main event at ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar (ESPN+), in what feels like a must-make-a-statement fight for his career.
Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC), who lost his belt to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 in May before Della Maddalena dropped it to Makhachev, said he’s been brutally honest with himself about that setback.
“I hate to lose in anything,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie. “There’s guys that can lose a fight, and they give excuses and look for reasons why, then the next fight they’ll lose again because the excuse was a lie to yourself… For me, we had to refocus, we had to readjust and see what went wrong, what didn’t go wrong. We’ve just got to outwork our last camp. This camp was our best camp, and this Saturday is going to show it.”
“I’m Going to Grab Him, Take Him Down… Then Let Him Back Up”
At 37, Muhammad knows time isn’t exactly on his side. That’s why he’s not just talking about winning he’s talking about finishing Machado Garry, something no one has done. He even laid out his blueprint.
“Honestly, for me, I think Ian is going to try to run around this whole first round,” Muhammad said. “But then by the end of the first round, his little point-jabbing is not going to work.
Then I’m going to grab ahold of him, I’m going to take him down, then I’m going to let him back up, just because I’m going to show him, ‘I could take you down if I want to.’ Then I’m going to outbox him because he said he could out strike me.”
Muhammad acknowledges Machado Garry’s résumé and durability.
“He’s a pretty striker, he’s been in there with great strikers. He’s been in there with MVP, he’s been in there with Shavkat, he’s been in there with Prates, and none of those guys finished him. So, for me, it’s finishing him on the feet and reminding everybody who I am.”
Chasing Makhachev Or Not?
Right now, Muhammad sees Michael Morales fresh off a first-round TKO of Sean Brady at UFC 322 as the frontrunner for the next crack at Makhachev. Muhammad said it’s his job to “outperform” Morales and change the conversation.
But there’s another layer: Muhammad has previously said he wouldn’t fight Makhachev while Islam held the belt. Now that the Dagestani has moved up from lightweight and taken his old division, the question is back on the table. Muhammad isn’t ready to answer it yet.
“For myself, it’s only focusing on one guy,” he said. “I don’t want to look past anybody. I don’t want to look past Saturday. Ask me that question on Sunday, and I’ll give you an answer.”
For now, Belal Muhammad’s mission is simple: beat Ian Machado Garry, and do it in a way nobody has before or risk being left behind in a suddenly stacked welterweight race.
UFC 322 Bonuses: Four Violent Finishes Cash $50K at Madison Square Garden
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
