Former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has been largely silent about his physical altercation with then-champion Belal Muhammad during the filming of an episode of the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Usman and Henry Cejudo. “The Nigerian Nightmare” broke that silence during an interview with SHAK MMA.
“He got to a point in his career as far as become champion. When you become champion it validates a lot of things for you that maybe only you were able to see at one point. I think that’s what it did for him,” Usman said.
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“In that process, I think he was doing and saying a couple of things that were a bit distasteful for me. He was on the podcast and we attempted to have a conversation about it, but unfortunately it didn’t go as I think either of us would have liked, at least on my part. That was that. Nothing more, nothing less.”
In infamous episode remains unreleased. Muhammad gave his side of the story during an appearance on “Full Send Podcast last month.
“We were on his podcast, and Henry Cejudo was like, ‘How does it feel to be champion? You’re at the top now.’ And I said it feels good right now because everybody wants to listen to you, everybody thinks you’re the champ,” Muhammad said. “Usman’s like, ‘I was the champ, too.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but you’re not the champ anymore.’ And then he just couldn’t let it go. He’s like, ‘But I’m right there.’
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“I’m like, ‘No, bro, you’re on a three-fight losing streak.’ He’s like, ‘I still had the belt.’ I’m the champion now, and he just couldn’t give me my props. Then he was like, ‘Anything you do, I do better than you.’ And then I was like, ‘But you didn’t take the head kick better than me.’ And I think that just triggered him. He was like, ‘I don’t play these games, man. It’s on sight when people talk like that.’ On sight? We’re right in front of each other.”
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Muhammad lost the 170-pound championship to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 in May. Usman wanted Muhammad to remain champion in hopes of meeting him in a title bout.
“It’s unfortunate that he lost the title because that would have been a great fight between myself and Muhammad. It is what it is. We move on,” he said.
Usman headlines this Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 69 fight card against No. 7 ranked Joaquin Buckley at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Usman last fought in October 2023, losing to Khamzat Chimaev in a short-notice middleweight match.
