Kamaru Usman isn’t interested in trading barbs for the sake of it — but he made clear he hasn’t forgotten his long-running beef with Belal Muhammad. Speaking at a fan Q&A in Abu Dhabi ahead of UFC 321, Usman explained why the matchup hasn’t happened and why, for now, he’s focused on one thing: getting back to the title.
Usman and Muhammad have been feuding for years, with tensions boiling over publicly — most notably during an ill-fated taping of the Pound 4 Pound podcast in September 2024. That episode never aired after an altercation between the men; both sides have since offered different versions of what happened, and the incident helped further fuel the rivalry.
Usman says he has nothing to gain from the fight — for now
At the Abu Dhabi Q&A, Usman downplayed Muhammad’s chatter and explained the practical reason the fight hasn’t been made: rankings and timing.
“We didn’t have a lot of back and forth, it was just a lot coming from him,” Usman said. “I just think he’s a dork and what you do with dorks is you ignore them. Right now Belal Muhammad is ranked No. 1 and I’m below him. I’m looking at the title. I’ve been where he hasn’t been… I have nothing to gain from fighting Belal Muhammad, he has all to gain.”
Usman made it clear Muhammad’s public calls are driven by what Muhammad stands to gain — not that Usman is afraid of the matchup.
“That’s why he’s the one calling me out, he has all to gain from me. I’m not here to waste time. I want to get the title, and I want to continue on my track of defending, being that champion again. If I have the title, and he’s the next guy, I would luckily kick his head in.”
The feud that never quite materialized
The two nearly collided in public multiple times after the podcast fallout. Usman went on to face Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta, while Muhammad is scheduled to fight Ian Machado Garry at UFC Qatar on Nov. 22. Plans for a Usman–Muhammad fight have repeatedly stalled, in part because both men have had differing priorities inside and outside the cage.
Usman’s roadmap to the White House (and a title shot)
Usman also discussed his plans to fight on the rumored UFC White House card in June, a marquee event that could align with his desire to regain the welterweight title. He laid out the potential timeline:
“I think good odds because the plan is, hopefully — after the fight in the next couple weeks with Islam [Makhachev] and [Jack Della Maddalena] — hopefully the winner… will want downtime. If it’s Islam, Ramadan’s coming, so we’re going to want to sit for a couple months and so White House should be a perfect time to get back in there. I’m aiming for the title.”
Usman made his intentions clear: he’s not chasing drama for clicks. He wants the belt. If Belal Muhammad becomes the next obstacle, Usman says he’ll be ready — but only after he’s positioned where he needs to be.
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