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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Farah Hannoun

Belal Muhammad: Skill-for-skill Dricus Du Plessis sucks, would be ‘my easiest path to double-champ status’

Belal Muhammad doesn’t rate UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis’ skills very highly.

Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) called Muhammad a loser for saying that UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev could beat him, prompting Muhammad to go off on him and his skills.

“They asked me, ‘Will you fight Islam?’ and I was like, ‘No, I wouldn’t fight Islam,’ but I think Islam is looking to be a double champion, he could go up and fight Du Plessis right now and beat him,'” Muhammad said on his “Remember The Show” podcast.

“I’m standing by that. I think he could. I was trying to be nice about it, but honestly, Du Plessis sucks, if I’m being honest about it. Skill-for-skill, I would dominate Du Plessis, and I don’t think he’s that good. I do think Islam would dominate him and outgrapple him, and take him to the ground.”

Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) runs things back with welterweight champion Leon Edwards (21-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) in the UFC 304 main event July 27 at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England.

Du Plessis wasn’t on Muhammad’s radar before, but he is now.

“I’m saying Islam can beat you, and he wants to be like, ‘Oh, you’re a loser, you have no fans,'” Muhammad continued. “Now you’re putting your head in the mix with me, so I beat Leon now that just sets the table for this fight right here if he gets past (Israel) Adesanya.”

“I was trying to be nice but Dricus sucks. After I beat Leon he’ll be my easiest path to double-champ status.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.

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