A behind-the-scenes clash on an unreleased podcast reveals rising tension between Belal Muhammad and Kamaru Usman!
UFC welterweight drama just hit another level! Belal Muhammad and Kamaru Usman nearly came to blows during what should have been a simple podcast appearance. The tension between these two elite fighters has been brewing for months. Muhammad, who captured the welterweight belt from Leon Edwards last July, is getting ready to defend his title against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 this weekend. But even with this huge fight coming up, he can’t help but throw some extra fuel on his beef with former champ Usman.
Back in the day, Usman was considered untouchable at welterweight. He dominated the division with incredible wrestling and striking that even knocked out Jorge Masvidal. But after losing twice to Leon Edwards, Usman’s reputation took a hit. Now he is riding a three-fight skid and trying to claw his way back into title contention, while Muhammad sits on the throne Usman once called home.
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During a recent chat on the Full Send Podcast, Muhammad spilled the beans about what happened when he went on Usman’s Pound 4 Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo. Things started off normally enough with Cejudo asking Muhammad how it felt to be champion. Muhammad was enjoying his moment in the sun, talking about how everyone listens to the champ. That’s when Usman jumped in with “I was the champ, too.” He clearly was not ready to pass the torch without some resistance.
“Yeah, but you’re not the champ anymore’. And then he just couldn’t let it go. ‘But I’m right there!’, I’m like ‘No, bro, you’re on a three-fight losing streak’…and he just couldn’t give me my props…Then he went ‘Anything you do, I do better than you’. And then I was like ‘But you didn’t take the head kick better than me!’. And I think that just triggered him. He was like ‘I don’t play these games man, it’s on sight’. On sight? We’re right in front of each other.”
The head kick comment was a brutal reference to Usman’s knockout loss to Edwards at UFC 278 that cost him his title. The recording of the Pound 4 Pound podcast stopped after just ten minutes, with both fighters nearly coming to blows. The episode still hasn’t been released to the public. However, there is speculation it might drop before UFC 315 to drum up more interest in Muhammad’s title defense.
Kamaru Usman is set to return against Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta next month. If Usman can snap his losing streak and Muhammad defends successfully this weekend, we might see these two settle their differences in the octagon rather than on a podcast soon!
(Image Credit: Craig Kidwell – Imagn Images)
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