Islam Makhachev has been ‘praying’ for Belal Muhammad to lose. This has been the narrative that has been going on ever since Jack Della Maddalena managed to beat the 36-year-old fighter. However, now that the dilemma centering on Muhammad holding the belt is off, Makhachev will surely move up. However, according to UFC veteran Daniel Cormier, the accusations are not true at all.
In a recent statement, Cormier opined that he does not think Makhachev was praying for Muhammad’s loss. DC pointed out that he would never want to hinder someone else’s progress for his own benefit, having known Makhachev for a long time.
“I don’t think Makhachev was praying for Belal to lose. I know the guy and I don’t think that’s in him to want to see one of his friends lose for himself to gain an opportunity,” said Cormier.
Daniel Cormier stands by Islam Makhachev amidst a growing narrative suggesting he wanted Belal to lose.🤝
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) May 13, 2025
"I don't think Makhachev was praying for Belal to lose. I know the guy and I don't think that's in him to want to see one of his friends lose for himself to gain an… pic.twitter.com/rx7SzDq9I6
Meanwhile, the entire situation stems from Belal Muhammad’s close friendship with Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov. In fact, Nurmagomedov’s tactics helped him win the title against Leon Edwards. But since Muhammad was reluctant to fight Makhachev, his transition to the welterweight division faced a dead end. Now that Makhachev is ready to fight, Ilia Topuria issued a stern statement.
Ilia Topuria Claims Islam Makhachev Fears Him
Islam Makhachev has long rejected the idea of giving Ilia Topuria a chance. And as the possibility of Topuria facing the Dagestani is quite slim, ‘El Matador’ has made a surprising claim. Topuria stated that Makhachev is afraid of facing him inside the octagon. And that’s the reason why the lightweight champion has refused to give Topuria a title shot.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MMA stories via Google! Follow Us
“I don’t think he’ll even touch my legs, because the first thing he feels, he’ll want me to send him back to Russia…The only reason he doesn’t want to fight me is because he knows I’m going to beat him,” he said.
Ilia Topuria on a potential fight against Islam Makhachev:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 9, 2025
“I don’t think he’ll even touch my legs, because the first thing he feels, he’ll want me to send him back to Russia…
The only reason he doesn’t want to fight me is because he knows I’m going to beat him.” 👀🍿
🎥… pic.twitter.com/k0hELTCGkV
Thus, with the situation looking quite interesting, it remains to be seen what happens next.
Also Read: Islam Makhachev Ready To Chase Second UFC Belt After Belal Muhammad Loss
