Belal Muhammad has a war on his hands. Not just inside the Octagon, but outside of it, too! As he prepares for his first title defense against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, the welterweight champion has found himself in Conor McGregor’s crosshairs, again.

This isn’t the first time McGregor has gone after Muhammad. Late last year, as McGregor continued his hiatus from competition, he made it clear he wasn’t impressed with the reigning welterweight champ. Now, the Irishman has found a new target, ‘Remember the Name’s boxing skills. And in typical McGregor fashion, he didn’t hold back.

Conor McGregor ridicules Belal Muhammad’s boxing skills as their ‘beef’ shows no signs of slowing down  

It all started when a video surfaced of Belal Muhammad hitting the pads on social media. A motivational speech played in the background, emphasizing consistency and perseverance. But Conor McGregor wasn’t feeling inspired.

According to a post shared on Instagram by ‘ClockednLoaded’, McGregor wrote on social media, “The UFC ww champion ahaha holy good lord #woeful #abysmal”

As mentioned above, the war of words between Muhammad and McGregor has been raging for a while. In past tirades on social media, the Irishman made it clear that he believes he has what it takes to end the welterweight champion’s reign, writing, “I’d love to crush my left hook into Belal’s temple and take down the triple crown.”

Not done with just taking aim at his belt, ‘The Notorious’ further took issue with Muhammad’s popularity and resume claiming, “To think this bum is now a UFC champion with zero knockdowns on his resume whatsoever is so bad. The UFC’s most abysmal zero revenue generating fighter in modern history.”

Muhammad, however, didn’t take the shots lying down. In a heated response during an interview with UFC veteran Jake Shields on his podcast, the champ fired back with, “When you look at how far he’s fallen off — he’s lost Proper 12, which was his baby. Think about your future and how your kids are going to look at you.”

While it’s unclear what exactly ignited this feud between Conor McGregor and Belal Muhammad, one thing is certain. It’s not cooling down anytime soon. Some believe it stems from Muhammad’s ties to Team Khabib, a camp that has long been on McGregor’s bad side. Given Muhammad’s regular training sessions with Khabib Nurmagomedov and his team, it’s possible McGregor’s disdain has bled over to the reigning welterweight champ.

But here’s the irony, despite McGregor’s brutal assessment of Muhammad’s boxing, the champ will need his hands sharper than ever for his next fight. Jack Della Maddalena isn’t just another contender. The Australian knockout artist has crashed into the title picture at 170 lbs, and he’s bringing his violent striking with him.

Muhammad opens up as the favorite over Jack Della Maddalena for UFC 315 title clash  

Belal Muhammad was expecting a suffocating test in Shavkat Rakhmonov, a well-rounded mauler with a relentless grappling attack. But with Rakhmonov sidelined due to injury, the champ now faces an entirely different beast. Jack Della Maddalena, a vicious striker currently on a 17-fight win streak!

His last performance at UFC 299 was a chilling reminder of his knockout power. Just when it looked like Gilbert Burns had him figured out, the Aussie found an opening and turned out the lights.

Muhammad’s grappling has always been his bread and butter, but to close the distance on a sniper like Della Maddalena, he’ll need to rely on more than just his wrestling. His boxing, the very skill McGregor just ridiculed, could be the key to victory in this fight.

According to DraftKings, the oddsmakers have Muhammad as the favorite, listing him at -205 against Della Maddalena’s +170 underdog status. But numbers don’t mean much when you’re standing in front of a man who can put you to sleep with a single punch!

In the end, Conor McGregor may laugh at Belal Muhammad’s boxing now, but come fight night, it could be the one thing keeping him on his throne. Will Muhammad prove the Irishman wrong? Or will Della Maddalena turn the champ into just another highlight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!