“I believe it will be very hard to beat Belal. If Maddalena or Shavkat don’t finish him early, Belal is just going to keep pressing,” said Khabib Nurmagomedov during an interview with Adam Zubayraev, praising Belal Muhammad’s relentless pressure and ability to dominate his opponents. Since retiring from MMA, ‘The Eagle’ has taken on a mentorship role within the Dagestani camp, and his interest in Belal’s rise was evident from the beginning. That respect eventually turned into a working relationship, as the two began training together.
Now, UFC 315 is no longer just another pay-per-view event with a gold belt on the line, it’s become the focal point of several compelling storylines. The welterweight title fight against Jack Della Maddalena is one, but there’s another layer involving Belal’s close ties with Khabib and the Dagestani team, especially in light of Islam Makhachev’s ambitions to move up to welterweight.
Even UFC commentator Laura Sanko touched on this dynamic during her interview with Submission Radio, saying, “I have a gut feeling that Islam is somewhat open to fighting Belal… Islam wouldn’t prefer it because there is so much mutual respect and time shared and all these things, but it’s kind of like, ‘Yeah, but I also want that second belt and whoever’s there is there.’”
That mutual respect Laura Sanko pointed out becomes even more significant when considering Khabib’s deep involvement as a mentor in this entire situation. ‘The Eagle’ played a key role in Belal Muhammad’s breakout performance against Sean Brady at UFC 280, where the Palestinian-American fighter secured a second-round knockout. Khabib was seen closely guiding and supporting Belal throughout that camp, a gesture that solidified their bond. As UFC 315 approaches, that connection has resurfaced in the form of a resurfaced video, edited with dramatic effects started circulating.
In the video, Belal was stating how Khabib gave him the motivation and guidance during the fight with Brady, “He was just pushing through me the whole time. ‘We have to finish him! We have to finish him! Even in that second round, he kept screaming to me, ‘He’s breaking! He’s breaking!” That was definitely one of the best corner works from the former lightweight legend, which is only next to Makhachev vs Hooker fight at UFC 267.
Now, as we touched upon, the storyline surrounding this event, along with welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has the most at stake. His dream of becoming a two-division champion hinges on the outcome of the main event at the Bell Center.
Belal Muhammad and Islam Makhachev’s future depends on UFC 315
“Yeah, there’s a lot of moving parts right now, and yeah, that’s pretty accurate,” Dana White said at UFC 315. Though he didn’t elaborate, it was more than enough to hint at the plans forming around Islam Makhachev. If Jack Della Maddalena wins the main event, the current lightweight king is expected to move up and challenge the Aussie for double-champ glory. However, if Belal Muhammad emerges victorious, International Fight Week could feature a blockbuster main event with Ilia Topuria
To make things even more interesting, Islam Makhachev posted on X: “This Saturday’s main event will define what my next move is. But regardless of the outcome of that fight, I’m not going to vacate my lightweight title! We might get a real contender there!” The Dagestani juggernaut, standing his ground—and acknowledging that a legitimate contender may be emerging, could mean one of two things: (a) He and the UFC have finally recognized the Georgian-Spaniard, or (b) an interim title bout will be introduced at UFC 317 to determine his next challenger.
Belal Muhammad’s future is much more forward than this. He’ll be facing the next best opponent, which many believe is going to be Joaquin Buckley if he gets through Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta, or Sean Brady because of his recent victory over Leon Edwards. So, that almost wraps up the trajectory of the current 170 lbs champ.
With that being said, who do you think wins the UFC 315’s deciding main event? Is it going to be Belal using his grappling prowess? Or Jack Della Maddalena with his knockout power? And, also, who do you think Makhachev faces next? Please comment below.
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