Belal Muhammad responds after UFC welterweight feels the champ "has a lot more tools to dominate" Shavkat Rakhmonov "than people think"

Reigning UFC welterweight champ Belal Muhammad seems to be getting ready to defend his belt against undefeated Kazakh rising star Shavkat Rakhmonov. Though an official date for the fight has not been set yet, it's safe to say that 'Remember The Name' is already working on his strategy to solve the Rakhmonov problem inside the octagon.

While fans and fellow fighters are considering the Kazakh to be the most difficult challenge for the Palestinian-American champion so far, some see things differently.

Fellow UFC welterweight Ramiz Brahimaj made a rather hot take on the match-up, posting:

"The more I watch film the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize @bullyb170 has a lot more tools to dominate Shavkat than people think."

Muhammad, seemingly pleased by this assessment, replied with a simple GIF from the film 'Smile':

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Belal Muhammad roasts Shavkat Rakhmonov after injury claims post-UFC 310

At UFC 310 earlier this month, Shavkat Rakhmonov faced fellow undefeated star Ian Machado Garry. Rakhmonov was supposed to face Belal Muhammad for the UFC welterweight title but had a last-minute opponent change after the champion got injured during fight camp.

Coming into the fight with Garry, Rakhmonov had 18 wins with 18 finishes and was expected by many to run through the Irishman with ease. However, the bout was highly competitive with Garry getting more than a few good licks, making Rakhmonov look more human than ever.

As it turned out, the Kazakh warrior suffered an MCL tear during his fight preparations but chose not to reveal it before the fight. As his team claims, this was the reason why Rakhmonov had a less-than-stellar performance at UFC 310.

Upon learning about this, the outspoken Belal Muhammad had some choice words for his future challenger. In a guest appearance on the Anik and Florian Podcast on YouTube, "Remember The Name' said:

"When he doesn't look unstoppable or untouchable, that's when they say he had an injury. I hate when guys come off with excuses after a win... You did what you had to do to win the fight, you don't have to give excuses about why it wasn't a finish... So don't come up with an excuse or disrespect [your opponent] like that."

Listen to Muhammad's statement here (12:10)