Don’t expect Kamaru Usman to revel in Belal Muhammad’s title loss at UFC 315.
Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) lost his welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) by unanimous decision in Saturday’s main event at Bell Centre in Montreal.
Muhammad took numerous shots at Usman during fight week when referencing their altercation during his appearance on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast, but Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) didn’t take the opportunity to fire back. He offered a classy response to Muhammad’s loss.
“People get so invested in this game to where they think that I’m supposed to be happy because he lost,” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “Why would I be happy because he lost? I hadn’t fought him yet. Yes, me and him weren’t the best of friends, I’ll tell you that for sure, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy that he lost. As a former champion, as far as a pound-for-pound top dog, as far as not just the rankings, but also as far as selling pay-per-views, I understand what this game is. Listen, as much as we didn’t like each other, it was still something that people wanted to see.
“It was something that was on the cusp of potentially happening. So no, I’m not excited that he lost. I’m not disappointed. I’m indifferent, absolutely. Especially when a champion loses, I’m not excited about that because it’s difficult after you lose. It’s difficult to get back. It’s difficult to work so hard to get in there, step in there, and try to accomplish something and fall short. It’s very difficult. So I’m not going to pray on anyone’s downfall in any way, shape or form. So no – absolutely not excited that he lost.”
Like many others, Usman was confused with Muhammad’s game plan. He thinks Muhammad underestimated Della Maddalena by saying he wouldn’t shoot any takedowns on him.
“On the flip side, I will say it was a way that I was looking at this fight,” Usman said. “I was looking at the matchup and what was happening leading up to the matchup, and what was being said before to where I’m like, why are you not paying too much attention to this guy? It was almost dismissive.
“Almost like, ‘Yeah, I’m not even going to take him down, I’m going to Canelo hands,’ to where I’m like, this kid’s not bad. This dude ain’t no joke – this dude is good. I see something in his spirit when he fights to where I’m like, this guy could be a problem. He went out there, from start to finish I thought looked like a freaking insane – he looked like the defending champion.”
Muhammad did eventually try and wrestle Della Maddalena, but Usman thinks it was too late.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Belal,” Usman said. “Belal stood in there, he tried to potentially switch the momentum. But I just thought it was the wrong game plan because he just stood with the guy. Then by the time he eventually decided to start changing levels, this guy’s confidence is already up so high, and he’s feeling so good to where it didn’t do anything.”
Usman, who meets Joaquin Buckley in the UFC on ESPN 69 headliner on June 14, isn’t ruling out the possibility of a future matchup with Muhammad, but admits the desire isn’t as high now that he’s no longer champion.
“I don’t wish bad on anybody,” Usman said. “It’s sad because obviously for a guy like Belal, even though he’s a troll and as distasteful as I thought all the antics and all the crap that he was doing was, he was representing something and fighting for something that I thought was meaningful, and that I think the majority of the world was getting behind. It’s always sad when a champion loses because it’s almost like undercover what everyone’s waiting for.
“Everyone’s waiting to see that fall. Everyone’s waiting: ‘See – I told you: You’re not special. You’re not that good. Look at you now.’ I know how it feels. It’s not great, but hopefully he’ll bounce back and get back on the horse. And listen, it’s not done. Maybe there is a future for him and I, but I’m not chasing that fight because what I was chasing was the title.”
