UFC’s newly crowned welterweight champion, Islam Makhachev, has quickly become the fighter everyone wants a shot at. Among those chasing the title are No. 3 contender Michael Morales and No. 5 contender Carlos Prates, both of whom turned heads last week at UFC 322 with standout performances. And according to Kamaru Usman, the same cannot be said of Ian Garry and Belal Muhammad.

This weekend at UFC Qatar, No. 2 contender Belal Muhammad will take on No. 6 contender Ian Garry in the promotion’s debut in Doha, set to take place inside the ABHA Arena. With pressure mounting over who will face Islam Makhachev next, UFC legends Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo recently analyzed the upcoming welterweight showdown at UFC Qatar. In their discussion, the welterweight GOAT, Kamaru Usman, evaluated both fighters’ chances of earning the next title shot.

Kamaru Usman dismisses Ian Garry and Belal Muhammad’s chances for a title fight

Islam Makhachev recently requested Kamaru Usman for his first title defense. On the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast, Henry Cejudo suggested that even if Belal Muhammad defeats Ian Garry, the UFC might still not grant him a title shot. However, Cejudo said, “But I do feel like if Ian Garry is able to win…”

Belal Muhammad held the championship until UFC 315, when Jack Della Maddalena defeated him in a brutal striking game in his first title defense, leaving Muhammad with serious injuries, including his lips being sliced into two.  Now, months later, Muhammad is ready to return for his next bout. At the same time, Kamaru Usman doesn’t see either Belal Muhammad or Ian Garry as title contenders. He said, “Why would… why would, okay, I hear what you’re saying, but here’s my quick scenario. I don’t think either guy gets put in for a title shot.”

In addition, Usman dismissed Ian Garry’s chances by pointing to Garry’s loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov last year.  Even though Ian Garry bounced back with a win against Carlos Prates, Usman emphasized on ‘Pound 4 Pound,’ “Not long ago, he just lost to Shavkat Rakhmonov. That was not that long ago. Yes, of course, he was able to outsmart Prates and get that win, but not long ago he lost to Shavkat.”

So, in this way, Kamaru Usman effectively rules out both Muhammad and Garry for a title shot. That said, #8-ranked Usman could still carve a path toward the belt himself, as both Garry and Muhammad have challenged Makhachev’s desire to face ‘The Nigerian Nightmare.’

However, Usman is no longer at his peak, currently sitting at #8 with a 1-3 record in his last four UFC outings, despite a win over Joaquin Buckley in June. Even so, Kamaru Usman does not view Belal Muhammad as next in line for a title shot. Speaking further, Usman referenced Belal Muhammad’s past contradictory claim.

Kamaru Usman questions Belal Muhammad’s “brotherhood” as title talk heats up

‘Team Khabib’ is widely recognized for its strong sense of brotherhood, featuring key figures like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Ali Abdelaziz, and several other fighters from the Dagestan region. Members of the group train together, pray together, and share meals, creating a tightly knit community. A few years ago, Belal Muhammad joined this “Muslim Brotherhood,” training alongside them and even traveling to Dagestan.

Last year, when rumors surfaced about Islam Makhachev moving up to the 170-pound division, Belal Muhammad, who was the reigning welterweight champion at the time, dismissed any notion of facing Makhachev and opted to move to the middleweight division instead. Now, with Makhachev as the division champion and Belal Muhammad still a top contender, questions arise: if he didn’t want to fight Makhachev before, why is he still in the division?

Kamaru Usman weighed in on the situation, saying, “If Belal is able to win that one- So now you want to challenge the man you didn’t want to challenge for the title because you said that was your brother, you trained with him, and you didn’t want him to challenge you for the title?… what are we in this for if it’s not for the gold? What are you in this for? Exactly. So are you as close as you say you were, or were you just faking it because you didn’t want to be challenged?”

Where do you see Belal Muhammad’s future in the division going? Will the Palestinian-American move up a weight class, or finally step in to face Islam Makhachev, now that he’s expressed renewed interest in reclaiming the gold? Share your thoughts below.