UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad has explained the value of beating someone like fellow contender Khamzat Chimaev.

Last weekend, Belal Muhammad vaulted himself into contention at 170 pounds with a convincing win over former title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. In the immediate aftermath he decided to call out current welterweight king Kamaru Usman, prompting a mixed response from mixed martial arts fans across the board.

Then, in recent days, he’s opted to go after Khamzat Chimaev by suggesting he’d be more than willing to take a fight against “Borz”.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, he expanded on his thought process.

“It makes sense for anybody in the division,” Muhammad said. “He has the most hype in the division right now. He has that (Conor) McGregor X-factor stardom right now, where the fans think he’s untouchable. The boss thinks he’s untouchable. They all think it’s just a matter of time before he becomes champion. So for me, if I beat him, I steal all of his hype, and I think it’s worth more than beating anybody ranked in the division. Beating him is probably worth more than beating Colby Covington just because of all the hype he has right now.

“So in this game, it’s about momentum, it’s about hype, and it’s about who’s hot right now. He’s the hottest right now. So beating him, I steal all that shine. I steal all that heat, so why wouldn’t I? And stylistically-wise, I think I match up very well with him. He has a very similar style to Usman, so I beat him, I just show that I belong in there with a guy like Usman and I’m the next guy that should be fighting this fight.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

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