Belal Muhammad reacts during UFC 205 Weigh-ins at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
One half of UFC Fight Night main event Belal Muhammad believes that he is the toughest challenge for undefeated welterweight Khamzat Chimaev
Everybody wants a piece of Khamzat Chimaev. All top welterweights are either being asked about the Chechen or have his name dialled in for a potential fight in the future. This weekend top Welterweight contenders Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad will run things back in the main event of UFC Vegas 51, and both spoke about their opinion of Chimaev.
Muhammad spoke to the media as part of his obligations leading up to the fight, and was inevitably asked about Chimaev. He responded by saying, “He was always human to me, that’s why I wanted that fight,” Muhammad said at UFC Vegas 51 media day (h/t MMA Junkie). “I think he’s still a great fighter. He’s undefeated and still super young. I think people just put him as this robot, this Marvel character that he’s just going to touch you and they fall.
“We all bleed, we’re all human beings,” he continued. “They put him at so high that now that he didn’t walk through No. 2 in the world, he sucks. I’m like, ‘Bro, he’s still a great challenge and a guy that could beat everybody in the division, except for me.”
It is apparent by now, even confirmed by UFC boss-man Dana White that Colby Covington will be next for Khamzat Chimaev, while both Luque and Muhammad will be bent on working their way up the UFC welterweight ladder.
There’s a reason why Khamzat Chimaev’s work ethic is so famed and fabled. The Chechen has a reputation for being the hardest worker in the room, and his diligence and assiduity are second to none.
Usually fighters take some time off, especially after a war like the one at UFC 273, to spend some time with their families away from fighting or reflect on the fight itself. But Chimaev does not like to fritter away time and immediately got back to the gym on Tuesday.
At UFC 273, Chimaev got off to a good start, utilizing his wrestling skills and size advantage, and dropped Burns towards the end of the round. The Chechen detailed in the post-fight interview that he got too comfortable and obsessed to knock out Burns, which led to him losing the second round.
His head coach Andreas posted a video of him back to training and preparing for his upcoming fights in the future. MMA reporter Chamatkar Sandhu shared the video by saying, ‘ No days off for Khamzat Chimaev (via IG/AndreasTheGeneral)’
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