Former welterweight title challenger Darren Till explains why Belal Muhammad becoming UFC champion is both good and bad.
Muhammad (24-3 MMA) captured the promotion’s coveted welterweight title by defeating former champion Leon Edwards by unanimous decision in the headliner of last month’s UFC 304 event in Manchester, England.
This title-winning victory was Muhammad’s tenth consecutive win and puts him in position to face either Kamaru Usman or Shavkat Rakhmonov in his first title defense.
Despite his success, Belal Muhammad was never considered one of the UFC’s most popular fighters and former title challenger Darren Till doesn’t believe that will change anytime soon.
“I think it’s good and bad,” Till told Title Sports Network that Muhammad became champion (h/t MMAJunkie). “I think sometimes these guys are just being themselves, right? Paddy (Pimblett) is that guy, I was that guy, Conor (McGregor) and Israel Adesanya and stuff like that. I love Belal. He knows I do.”
Darren Till continued:
“I’ve been ranting at him a lot on Twitter. If I were Dana (White), he probably wouldn’t be the champion I’d want. But you know what? He’s stayed true to himself. He’s got a big weight on his shoulders now with the belt and he’s obviously a good guy. So I don’t want to hate him, but he’s probably not the most exciting champion you’d want.”
Till, himself a former UFC title challenger, took to combat sports last month, scoring a TKO victory over Mohammad Mutie in a boxing match. “The Gorilla” has since been eyeing a future showdown with Jake Paul.
Do you agree with Darren Till that Belal Muhammad is probably not the fighter that Dana White and the UFC would like to have as their current welterweight titleholder?
