Belal Muhammad Eager for UFC Fight in Chicago Despite Challenges

CHICAGO, Ill. — UFC 319 is set to make a milestone return to Chicago this Saturday, marking the first event in the Windy City in six years. The main event features champion Dricus Du Plessis taking on the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight title.

Belal Muhammad, a former welterweight champion, expressed his eagerness to compete on the card in his hometown. Recently, he voiced his desire to fight at the United Center, a venue he has longed to return to since joining the UFC.

“100%, I wanted to fight on this card,” Muhammad said in an interview with The Schmo. He highlighted that the opportunity to fight at home would have been ‘epic.’ However, he noted that a matchup with Kamaru Usman was not possible, stating, “We couldn’t find Kamaru.”

Muhammad’s recent interest in fighting in Chicago stems from UFC 319 occurring in May, coinciding with his return from a short break. He hopes that he can arrange a matchup against Usman in the near future.

“It’s the only one that really makes sense,” he commented about a potential fight with Usman. Muhammad humorously added, “We just got to get his manager to stop protecting him,” referring to their shared manager, Ali Abdelaziz.

Usman recently ended a three-fight losing streak, winning decisively against Joaquin Buckley in June. The history between Muhammad and Usman runs deep, including a physical confrontation during an episode of Usman’s podcast. This incident left many fans questioning the outcome of a fight between the two.

As UFC 319 approaches, Muhammad remains hopeful about securing a match with Usman, as fans eagerly await potential showdown between the former champions.