Kamaru Usman believes Islam Makhachev should fight Belal Muhammad regardless of their training history. UFC lightweight champion Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) is eager to move up a weight class and capture a second belt.

On his Pound 4 Pound podcast on January 20, Usman said Makhachev should move up to take Muhammad’s belt, casting aside the brotherhood narrative that Makhachev alleges is stopping him from fighting Muhammad. Safe to say Muhammad wasn’t happy with the remarks.

Belal Muhammad reminds Kamaru Usman that he spent years saying he would never fight Israel Adesanya after he suggested that Islam Makhachev should move to welterweight to try and take his title

The next UFC welterweight title fight is expected to be Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov. Makhachev recently admitted that he’d rather not fight Rakhmonov either, which would make his welterweight title aspirations tough. Time will tell if Makhachev will eventually move up to 170 pounds and attempt to secure UFC gold in a second weight class.

Usman thinks it makes sense for Makhachev to move up and challenge welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, a frequent training partner of Makhachev and his team. “If I was Islam a