Belal Muhammad’s ambitions get scary warning from ex 185-er: “I swear to god”

UFC welterweight Joaquin Buckley suggests champion Belal Muhammad stay away from middleweight king Dricus Du Plessis.

Belal Muhammad’s ambitions get scary warning from ex 185-er: “I swear to god”

Joaquin Buckley questions Belal Muhammad's decision to move up (via Imago)

Belal Muhammad shocked everyone last year when he beat Leon Edwards to become the new welterweight champion. The fighter is yet to defend his title but has already planned to move up and fight Dricus Du Plessis for the second belt. However, former middleweight Joaquin Buckley doesn’t think that would be possible.

Muhammad doesn’t want to come in the path of Islam Makhachev’s double champion dream and, as a result, wants to move up. According to the fighter, he sees himself beating Du Plessis in a potential fight with his relentless wrestling pressure. In a recent video, Buckley shared some words of wisdom and suggested the champion not make that mistake. 

If you’re moving up, I’m telling you bro, they hit a little bit different up there. Trust me, I know. That’s why my ass went down to 170, I swear to god.

Joaquin Buckley via his YouTube channel 

Buckley made his debut in the UFC middleweight division and stayed there for two years, fighting various opponents. However, in a fight against Chris Curtis, the fighter got brutally KOed, which forced him to move down. Buckley has since found great success and is currently on a six-fight win streak, beating Colby Covington in his last bout. 

FS Video

Buckley expressed that Muhammad doesn’t necessarily have the tools to beat someone like Du Plessis. The fighter doesn’t see ‘Remember The Name’ taking down or knocking out the South African. However, Muhammad doesn’t seem to care about all this, and his confidence is at an all-time high.

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Belal Muhammad had to wait for a long time in order to get his title shot against Leon Edwards. He went into the battle as a major underdog and came out victorious, shutting down all his haters. He outclassed his opponent in every department and promised to remain an active champion. 

Belal Muhammad talks about his next opponent
Belal Muhammad talks about his next opponent (via MMA Fighting)

Muhammad’s reign was contested by the undefeated challenger Shavkat Rakhmonov and the fight was scheduled for UFC 310. The champion, however, had to pull out due to an injury. In a recent interview, Muhammad shared how he is mentally preparing himself against the Kazakh fighter. 

When you’re fighting a guy like Shavkat where they put him on this pedestal to be this undefeated crazy guy, I see holes in his game in the same way I saw holes in Leon’s game. I think Leon’s a better striker than Shavkat, but mentally I think Shavkat’s a lot stronger, I don’t see him breaking mentally.

Belal Muhammad via Barstool Chicago 
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Muhammad has always been on the receiving end of criticism due to his lack of finishes on his resume. Many still consider him the most boring champion on the roster. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see how the fighter manages to change the narrative around him.