"Why? If Islam wins Belal isn't gonna fight him" - Fans react to reports of Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov in high-stakes UFC clash

Belal Muhammad is reportedly taking on Shavkat Rakhmonov near the end of the calendar year, per one of UFC's most well-known commentators, and people are sounding off online about it. The name of Islam Makhachev was also invoked by some when discussing this in the context of how the UFC welterweight title picture could look heading into 2026.

During a recent episode of The Anik & Florian Podcast, titular figure Jon Anik broke the news of an October clash between the former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov.

X users flocked to make their thoughts known on this reported consequential contest, and a sizable tweet thread amassed thereafter.

@btsuck123 said:

"Why? If Islam wins Belal isn't gonna fight him"

@muneeb_bari stated:

"Very interesting matchup, will be a very close fight"

@trueSaifur quipped:

"who do I root for? wth I'm confused [crying emoji]"

[Images Courtesy: @RedCorner_MMA tweet thread on X]

Check the news regarding a Muhammad vs. Rakhmonov fight below:

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Belal Muhammad spotlights what cost him his UFC belt

Belal Muhammad has since come out to offer up his assessment of what happened at UFC 315 when he lost hold of the welterweight gold. Muhammad dropped the 170-pound strap to Jack Della Maddalena on points in what ended up being a barnburner bout in Montreal earlier this month.

The 36-year-old mentioned he went against his game plan against JDM in his championship-losing effort. This came during an interview with Jon Anik's brother Jason, as part of the podcast he has with Muhammad, Remember The Show.

When expounding upon what he felt went wrong against Della Maddalena, Belal Muhammad said:

"You know how they say there's a different energy when you're a champion and you're getting 20 percent better, for me, I always thought I was the best in the world. I still think I'm the best in the world. I was like 'Bro, I can strike with this guy."

"People are telling me I can't strike with him.' Obviously, we lost the fight, but we stood toe-to-toe with him. People can say whatever they want to say and do whatever they want to do. I went against the game plan, I went on my own, and at the end of the day, I'm going to live with that," he added.

Check out Belal Muhammad's comments below (12:10):