Belal Muhammad has accused Conor McGregor of wanting to compete in The Ultimate Fighter to "stay relevant".
McGregor is expected to return to action this year having successfully continued his recovery from a broken leg injury he suffered in defeat by Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The Irishman is expected to have numerous offers on the table from a range of opponents having announced his intentions to return at 170lb in a quest for a title in a third weight class.
This week, McGregor confirmed in a statement he has been offered the chance to be a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, which is a series where a high-profile character takes on another on the roster by forming their own respective teams. The 34-year-old has already competed on the show once in 2015 prior to his first UFC title win, where he went up against Urijah Faber.
But UFC contender Belal Muhammad has a theory over McGregor's delight at being made the offer, tweeting: "He has a movie coming out. He had to get relevant again before it hits theaters." The UFC superstar landed his first leading acting role, where he will star in the remake of Hollywood classic 'Road House' alongside famous actor Jack Gyllenhaal.
An official release date is yet to be confirmed but is expected that it will be released on streaming service Amazon Prime this year. Despite suffering a significant decline in his fighting form, McGregor remains the leading star on the UFC roster and there is huge anticipation for his comeback clash.
McGregor has received an array of call-outs for clashes including from Michael Chandler and most recently Tony Ferguson, who would both be willing to be his opposition for any appearance on the Ultimate Fighter. And the former two-weight champion has claimed he will be open to an appearance on his latest social media post.
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He wrote: "This is a snap from the original Ultimate Fighter house. Where I coached vs Urijah Faber. This photo was just before the show though. It was right before I won my first world title beating Urijah's teammate Chad Mendes around. I then went on to coach the famous fight show straight after the fight. With a big black eye and a gash, my tricolour, and my new and first ever UFC gold belt, I waltzed into the notorious fight gym in Las Vegas.
'The slickest suits and shouts the show had ever seen before. On top of the silverware. And I coached my team to victory. Crazy. Some journey. I have just been offered to coach this role again. I like it. It is full immersion which is needed. I see fighters lining up. I know what is ahead. I have been ready motherf***ers."
