UFC star Belal Muhammad didn't impress his training partner Khabib Nurmagomedov when he branded the former lightweight champion a "heavyweight" after his win last night.
Nurmagomedov has refused to fully transition into a coaching role like his father since retiring from MMA, but has been cornering more and more fighters, including the new lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. And he was involved in Muhammad's camp for UFC 280, helping him to defeat Sean Brady in a stunning TKO victory to go nine fights without a loss.
However, Nurmagomedov didn't appreciate his training partner's playful jab during his post-fight interview, when the welterweight joked that the former lightweight champion is now a heavyweight. Asked about Nurmagomedov's involvement in this camp, Muhammad explained the benefits before making a light-hearted joke, which didn't impress his cornerman.
"Bro, that whole team is full of monsters," Muhammad told Daniel Cormier of Nurmagomedov's camp, with whom he prepared for the event. "I was training with them; Abubakar [Nurmagomedov] who just won earlier, coach Khabib... If you thought he was a monster at lightweight, at heavyweight he's a bigger monster right now!
"That team is just another level, all them guys brought me in like one of their own, we're all brothers now, it's a family and I'm blessed to be a part of that team. Shout out to my manager Ali Abdelaziz [who also manages Khabib], I love you brother, and man, Alhamdulillah [praise be to God]."
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Muhammad had gone six fights and over three years since he last finished a fight, and over six years since he landed a TKO stoppage. But he brutalised the undefeated prospect Brady on the feet, forcing the referee to step in during the second round and declare a rare standing TKO much to the delight of the crowd in Abu Dhabi.
Now, he is eyeing up a bigger fight in the welterweight division, calling out champion Leon Edwards for a rematch in his post-fight interview. Edwards and he had their 2021 bout called off due to an eye poke, with the result being a no contest, although there is a perception among fans that the Brit was getting the better of their first round before the stoppage 18 seconds into round two.
Now the world champion, Edwards is more likely to give Kamaru Usman a trilogy fight before moving on to a potential rematch with Muhammad. It is expected that the Brit will get an homecoming bout against Usman in the UK, which will be the first world title fight on UK soil in over half a decade.
