Belal Muhammad appears largely unconcerned by the attempts of two former champions to grab his attention during UFC 315 fight week.
Currently focused on defending his title against Jack Della Maddalena on Saturday, Muhammad addressed recent remarks from Kamaru Usman. Usman had suggested security might be needed to separate them if they met backstage. The rivalry between the two welterweights has been ongoing, and Usman commented that being scheduled for a June fight means he`s “back in the thick of it,” implying their animosity would likely escalate upon meeting.
Muhammad, however, doesn`t sound particularly worried about a potential confrontation.
“Who? The ex-champion with three consecutive losses?” Muhammad quipped about Usman during UFC 315 media day. “Why would I fear someone with bad knees, no cartilage, and a big head? No, I believe I`ll manage just fine.”
Muhammad also touched upon a notable podcast episode he recorded with Usman and former two-division champion Henry Cejudo that was never released. According to Muhammad, the discussion became quite heated, with Usman reportedly becoming very emotional during the exchange, which is supposedly the reason the episode remains unreleased.
“If you`re an adult and you cry on a podcast – your podcast – and start tearing up, why would you want to release it?” Muhammad asked. “Unless they have an exceptional editor who can fix it, but I doubt they have the budget for that.”
Furthermore, Muhammad responded to former interim champion Colby Covington, who similarly tried to provoke him during a visit to the UFC Performance Institute this week.
In a social media video, Covington was seen laughing about concealing Muhammad`s meal prep containers and referred to the current UFC welterweight champion as a “f*cking bum.”
Covington, who is on a two-fight skid with his last victory against Jorge Masvidal in 2022, seemed proud of his behavior. However, Muhammad swiftly pointed out that he is scheduled to fight in Montreal this week, not in Las Vegas where the UFC Performance Institute is situated.
“He hid my food? I`m not even in Vegas,” Muhammad stated. “That shows you what a moron he is. I have no idea what he`s thinking.”
“These guys act like online personalities now. Kamaru is a podcaster, Colby is a YouTuber. They should start a podcast together – `The Biggest Losers`.”
