Belal Muhammad had to scratch and claw his way just to get a shot at becoming UFC champion, but even after winning the title in lopsided fashion over Leon Edwards , he’s right back in a familiar role as underdog again. While nothing is official, Muhammad appears destined to defend his title against Shavkat Rakhmonov in either late 2024 or early 2025. With an undefeated record and a 100 percent finishing rate in his career, Rakhmonov is already heavily favored to take Muhammad’s title away from him should they meet.
But Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is quick to pump the brakes on Rakhmonov’s premature coronation having fought him and Muhammad within the past three years. “Belal, he’s got every chance to go out there and do well against Shavkat just like Shavkat has a chance to beat him,” Thompson told MMA Fighting. “I mean he’s the champ.
How can you sit there and say [Shavkat] is going to run through him when all we’ve seen from Belal is just domination with everybody? I don’t remember the last close fight that he’s had. “He did it to Sean Brady , he out-struck him, out-grappled him. He did it with everybody.
Myself, Leon, Gilbert Burns . He fought every style. He’s fought strikers.
He’s fought grapplers. He’s fought very well-rounded MMA fighters. Come on, you cannot sit there and tell me [Shavkat] is going to run through Belal.
” Truth be told, Thompson once had a similar opinion on Muhammad before he watched the future UFC champion take on.