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Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champ Belal Muhammad’s foot is a balloon.
The 170-pound beltholder revealed on social media on Thursday that a bone infection in his foot—one that made a toe dangerously swell up—has forced him out of action for the next six weeks. As a result of this, Muhammad (24-3, 1 NC) will no longer be competing atop UFC 310 on Dec. 7. News of his withdrawal first came from Al Zullino on X, the service formerly known as Twitter. Per other outlets, the organization is trying to find a replacement opponent for challenger Shavkat Rakhmonov (18-0), but he may not remain on the lineup at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on that date.
Rakhmonov chimed in after learning the news, wishing Muhammad well and expressing his interest in rebooking the matchup at a later date. He still has his eye on the prize.
“Wishing Belal a quick recovery,” Rakhmonov wrote. “We’ll meet when you’re back at 100%. For now, I’m ready to take on any contender for the interim title at UFC 310.”
There is no indication whether the promotion is considering an interim title situation, given the timetable for Muhammad’s recovery is still not official. If he does compete, Rakhmonov will be looking to push his undefeated streak to 19, while attempting to maintain his flawless 100% finish rate. “Nomad” worked his way to a championship opportunity by racking up six wins under the UFC banner over growingly impressive opposition. In his last three victories, Rakhmonov tapped out Neil Magny, Geoff Neal and Stephen Thompson, in the span of about 18 months.
Muhammad intends on returning as soon as possible—he is not going to be allowed to train for six weeks minimum, and the remaining timetable depends on the severity of the infection—and when he does, he will be making the first defense of his welterweight throne. “Remember the Name” claimed it courtesy of a decision over Leon Edwards in a grudge match. Before facing Edwards, Muhammad beat names like Thompson, Vicente Luque and Gilbert Burns as he methodically climbed the 170-pound ladder.
UFC 310 will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 7, and the headliner is currently in flux. The scheduled co-main event of Alexandre Pantoja vs. Manel Kape for the flyweight strap could be elevated to the main attraction, but the UFC has not announced a shift as of yet. Other marquee pairings include a heavyweight rematch between Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov as well as a featherweight title eliminator pitting Movsar Evloev against Aljamain Sterling.
