Kamaru Usman shoots down potential fight with Belal Muhammad: “What do you have to offer me?”

Kamaru Usman doesn’t see a need or have an interest in fighting Belal Muhammad.

Usman is set to return to the Octagon in the main event of UFC Atlanta against Joaquin Buckley. It’s an intriguing matchup, and should he win, Usman will be in the title picture.

Ahead of his return, Muhammad has called out Usman and expressed interest in the bout. However, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ doesn’t see a need to make the fight happen.

“Here’s the thing. When Belal Muhammad was champion, there was a reason to fight Belal Muhammad, he had the title,” Usman said at UFC Atlanta media day. “Let’s be honest, we aren’t the best of friends, but I don’t wish him any bad, he’s my Muslim brother, so I don’t wish him any bad. But what do you have to offer me? You are going to give me a side deal, you are going to throw me a little extra cash on the side? If you are willing to do that, uh maybe. But who knows?”

Usman doesn’t think Muhammad is a big enough fight for him to take if he wins on Saturday. That is a key reason why he doesn’t think the fight makes sense, as well as the fact that there is no bad blood with one another.

Kamaru Usman and Belal Muhammad had scuffle on a podcast

Although Kamaru Usman doesn’t think there is a rivalry with Belal Muhammad, the two did have a disagreement on a podcast.

Muhammad was a guest on Usman and Henry Cejudo’s podcast, but the episode has never aired. Muhammad claimed it was because he made Usman look bad, and the former welterweight champ explained what happened.

“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 to SHAK MMA. “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.”

Ultimately, Kamaru Usman is focused on getting back into the win column at UFC Atlanta on Saturday.