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During the UFC 280 press conference, Belal Muhammad insisted that he is rooting for Nate Diaz in his scheduled bout against Khamzat Chimaev, and even offered to help the Stockton-native train for the unbeaten welterweight.
'Remember the Name' had previously had a back-and-forth on social media with 'Borz' and it looked as though the UFC would book a matchup between the two. Instead, the 25-fight MMA veteran is set to face Sean Brady on October 22 instead.
When questioned on whether he believes he can earn a title shot ahead of Khamzat Chimaev if he has a solid performance at UFC 280, Belal Muhammad said:
"Man, of course, anything's possible, but obviously I feel like the big money fight that they're trying to make is Khamzat against the winner of Kamaru [Usman] against Leon [Edwards]. For me, I'm team Diaz over here, so Nate, hit my line, I'll come out there and help you train, we'll win this fight."
After months of speculation and rumored opponents, Nate Diaz will finally bow out of the UFC in arguably the toughest fight possible when he faces a hungry killer in Chimaev later this year.
If he manages to silence the critics and hand the undefeated prospect his first loss, the Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt will be in the best position of his combat sports career, and will undoubtedly earn his biggest payday with whatever comes next.
Check out what Belal Muhammad had to say about Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev in the video below:
What's next for Khamzat Chimaev after the Nate Diaz fight?
Khamzat Chimaev finds himself in a unique position within his weightclass. Following his fight-of-the-year contender with Gilbert Burns, he is now tasked with facing the unranked Nate Diaz.
If he manages to get his hand raised in his next outing, the 28-year-old will be undeniable for a title shot, and could be face the winner of Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards' clash on August 20.
Chimaev has expressed his interest in fighting for multiple titles within the UFC. If granted his wish, we could see the Swede move back up to middleweight in search of further success against Israel Adesanya.
For now, the 170lb division is where he resides and is stacked with rising talents who will all be eyeing future matchups with the popular freestyle wrestler. While it is too soon for the fight at the moment, Shavkat Rakhmonov could become the toughest test of 'Borz's career.
