Watching your rival stumble on your birthday might seem like the perfect gift to many. But for former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, that’s not the case. Although he publicly feuded with Belal Muhammad, who recently lost a devastating title fight to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ stated he did not celebrate the outcome. Usman and Muhammad once shared mutual respect, but their relationship took a turn during an appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, co-hosted by Usman and Henry Cejudo.

The two welterweights clashed live on air, trading barbs over who is better and who holds more weight in the sport. Even so, as Kamaru Usman celebrated his 38th birthday, he showed nothing but maturity. In the latest Pound 4 Pound episode, Henry Cejudo jokingly asked him if Belal Muhammad’s loss felt like a birthday gift. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’s response was both classy and revealing:

“Listen, no. People get so invested in this game to where they think that I’m supposed to be happy because he lost. Why would I be happy because he lost? I hadn’t fought him yet, you know? It wasn’t that—um, yes, me and him weren’t… like, we weren’t the best of friends, I’ll tell you that for sure. But that doesn’t mean I’m happy that he lost.”

He continued, “As a former champion, as a former pound-for-pound top dog—not just in the rankings but also in terms of selling pay-per-views—I understand what this game is. And listen, as much as we didn’t like each other, it was still something that people wanted to see. It was something that was on the cusp of potentially happening. So no, I’m not excited that he lost. I’m not disappointed. I’m indifferent, you know?”

While Belal Muhammad and Kamaru Usman never shared the Octagon, their rivalry was driven by a desire to prove who was the better fighter. The outcome is now clear: Belal Muhammad couldn’t defend his title, while ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ set a record with five successful title defenses. As the Palestine-American’s decline begins, Usman had already predicted this turn of events before UFC 315. Let’s take a look at what Usman said back then.

What contributed to Belal Muhammad’s downfall?

It wasn’t Belal Muhammad’s fight style or skillset that led to his downfall at UFC 315—those close to him point to something deeper: arrogance. That trait was on full display inside the Octagon when ‘Remember the Name’, determined to prove his striking prowess, chose to stand and trade with Jack Della Maddalena. The risky approach backfired, resulting in a brutal facial injury and the loss of his title.

Ironically, the warning signs were there all along. Just last year, Belal Muhammad’s coach boldly likened his striking to that of boxing icon Canelo Álvarez, even dubbing it “Canelo hands.” Riding that praise, the American had already made it clear long before UFC 315 that he intended to keep the fight standing.

Kamaru Usman, on his podcast with Henry Cejudo, pointed directly to this overconfidence as the key factor in Muhammad’s defeat. Usman remarked, “He was almost dismissive… (Della Maddalena) looked like the defending champion… I felt like (Muhammad) just, I don’t want to say there was an arrogance, but it was almost like, just smirk and shrug it off… He wasn’t level changing and wasn’t really trying.”

Now at 36, can Belal Muhammad bounce back from this setback? And more importantly, will Dana White and the UFC brass still consider him for another title shot? Share your take below.