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Belal Muhammad, the No.13 ranked UFC welterweight, thinks a potential fight against Conor McGregor will help him secure a big payday.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the 32-year-old Chicago native opened up on a slew of topics, reflecting on his UFC future and how he plans to climb the ladder in the welterweight division rankings.
Belal Muhammad is set to take on Dhiego Lima at UFC 258. He currently boasts a three-fight win streak, and fought Lyman Good in his previous outing at UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov in June 2020.
According to Belal Muhammad, any fighter who competes against McGregor can earn a hefty sum of money.
"(In a fight) With him (Conor McGregor), you're going to get the biggest prize: all the money. If that's really the case, I would love that fight. Even now, Dustin Poirier beat him, and instead of asking for a title shot, he is asking (for a fight against) Nate Diaz because he knows you have mouths to feed, and you want to feed your generations, and those two guys (McGregor and Diaz) are going to bring that type of money... But I am still chasing gold (UFC title), and I want to leave my mark in this sport. Gold is always the gold, but if I can get a little money with it, (then) why not?" said Belal Muhammad.
Speaking on who he would like to challenge next, Belal Muhammad said he wants to 'punch Colby Covington in the face'. However, he acknowledges that he will have to work his way up the division for a fight against Covington.
"I don't like to use the word "hate", but I hate that guy (Colby Covington). But I am not stupid; I know that it's going to take more than just one fight. I'm going to have to climb the ladder to get to that guy, but I want to concentrate on Lima right now," said Belal Muhammad.
Belal Muhammad thinks Gilbert Burns will beat Kamaru Usman at UFC 258
Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will be defending his title for the third time at UFC 258 when he goes up against ex-teammate Gilbert Burns.
Belal Muhammad, who is fighting on the same card, thinks that Burns will surprise everyone by emerging victorious against 'The Nigerian Nightmare'.
"They both (Usman and Burns) know who is better in the training room. I think Usman is a different animal on fight nights, but to me, Burns is too dangerous. He is dangerous on the feet and dangerous on the ground. I think Burns is going to come out aggressive and he is going to end up finishing Usman," said Muhammad.
Belal Muhammad also added that he is a more mature fighter than he was in 2016 when he suffered a devastating knockout against Vicente Luque.
UFC 258 is set to take place on February 13, where Belal Muhammad will face a tough challenge opposite Dhiego Lima.
In India, you can watch UFC 258 - Usman vs Burns on February 14, 2021 live and Exclusive on Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 3 (Hindi) channels from 8:30 AM IST.
