Joe Rogan reveals talking to Dana White about potential Belal Muhammad vs. Islam Makhachev fight, Ilia Topuria weighs in

Joe Rogan (left) wants to see Islam Makhachev (center) facing Belal Muhammad (right). [Images courtesy: Getty, @islam_makhachev and @ bullyb170 on Instagram]

Joe Rogan recently disclosed his conversation with Dana White about a possible showdown between Islam Makhachev and Belal Muhammad. Ilia Topuria responded by stating that he believes the Makhachev vs. Muhammad fight will materialize.

Makhachev has been vocal about his dreams of becoming a double champion on multiple occasions, hinting at his move to welterweight. However, the Dagestani fighter has yet to step up due to Muhammad, who currently holds the 170-pound belt and shares a close relationship with the Nurmagomedov clan.

Notably, the 36-year-old has already stated that if Makhachev ever decides to move up, he will vacate his title and switch to middleweight.

In a recent conversation with Topuria on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Rogan shared his conversation with White about scheduling different matchups in the promotion, saying:

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''When I talked to Dana, at least promoting for the UFC, like I was talking to him this weekend, he was telling me all the issues that they're having and with different fights ... But he was actually specifically talking about what happens if Belal wins.''

The UFC commentator then opened up about White's stance on the potential Makhachev vs. Muhammad contest, saying:

''You know, Islam and Belal, they've been talking about Islam fighting Belal... I would like that to happen if Belal wins, but that's an if... The problem with Islam fighting Belal is that they train together. And I think they should fight. Yeah, they should fight.''

Makhachev will face Muhammad, according to Topuria, who said:

''That's gonna happen...How many guys we see fighting between each other that used to train before. [Belal and Islam] should fight.”

Check out Joe Rogan and Ilia Topuria's conversation below:

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Makhachev reiterated his desire to become a two-division champion during the UFC 311 post-fight press conference, following his opening-round submission win over Renato Moicano. As for Muhammad, he is set to make his first title defense against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on May 10.

Khabib Nurmagomedov dismisses the reports of Islam Makhachev facing Belal Muhammad

Khabib Nurmagomedov isn't a fan of Islam Makhachev moving up to face Belal Muhammad. In a recent interview with Adam Zubayraev, Nurmagomedov revealed that the Dagestani camp shares a close relationship with Muhammad, who has trained with 'The Eagle' on multiple occasions:

''Islam wants to fight at 170lb, but we can’t go up there because Belal is the champion. [He] is very close to us. We can’t exchange our relationships for belts, that’s not the way we are.''

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments below:

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About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh