UFC welterweight challenger Belal Muhammad’s bold claim regarding his division’s GOAT contention drew out plenty of reactions on social media.
Muhammad is currently across the pond ahead of his first opportunity at winning gold on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage. He’ll headline Saturday’s UFC 304 pay-per-view in competition for Leon Edwards’ title inside the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England.
Riding a 10-fight unbeaten streak, “Remember the Name” has been firm in stating that a crowning is inevitable. He’s made claims of superiority over Edwards, whose skillset he’s frequently downplayed. He even recently placed the champ down at fourth in his welterweight rankings.
Despite that, though, Muhammad stated during a fight week interview with MMA Fighting that a victory over “Rocky” at UFC 304 will put him directly below the great Georges St-Pierre in the division’s GOAT discussion.
“That belt doesn’t belong on his shoulder, it belongs on my shoulder,” Muhammad said. “My goal isn’t just to be the champion; my goal is to be the best welterweight to ever do it. For me to go out there and beat Leon, who beat Usman twice who everybody thought was the best welterweight to do it, then I’m ahead of him and right underneath GSP.
“When you look at both of our lineups, it’s like, I beat ‘Wonderboy,’ I beat this guy, I beat that guy, then I get these next young killers,” Muhammad continued. “You give me the Shavkats, you give me the JDMs, the Ian Garrys, and (if) I walk through all of them, there’s nothing else, right? I’m just going to be cemented as the best to ever do it.”
Fans React To Muhammad’s Claim To Second In Welterweight GOAT Debate: ‘Complete Insanity’
Unsurprisingly, those remarks from a polarizing figure in Muhammad led to plenty of pushback from his detractors on social media, with many branding the top welterweight contender “delusional.”
