happy to be joined by top UFC Walter
away Contender Bal Muhammad who has been
patiently or impatiently waiting for
this Welterweight Title Fight to get
announced it finally does it has a date
UFC 296 Bel I appreciate you joining me
but I can imagine this has been quite a
frustrating period of time for
you uh yeah I mean it was frustrating
but for the most part I’m always in the
gym I’m training so like I’m just happy
it’s finally got a date like people are
asking me and telling like oh man what
are you going to do are you going to be
mad if they give it to Kobe I’m like bro
they already like guaranteed it to Kobe
so there’s really nothing I could have
did the only thing I could have
controlled is beating Gill Burns and
then knowing that I’m next after
that well yeah that’s the thing right
because you were told before the fight I
believe you were told after the fight
after you won that fight you beat Burns
that you were next in line so I know
you’re a guy who likes to actively
compete but at this point have you
reached the point in your career where
like no right I’m GNA wait because i’
I’ve had this conversation with the mult
M times right you end up fighting
somebody else have you reached the point
where you’re like no I’m just going to
wait for a title
shot yeah I mean because you know I get
to the point now where I’m looking at my
career and I’m looking at where I’m at
and all the people I beat in like I feel
like I I fought guys that were all
number one contenders gilber Burns
fought for the belt Damen mayia fought
for the belt twice Wonderboy fought for
the belt twice um luuk a weighed in for
the the title shot so like I feel like
I’m literally fighting guys like like
I’m the Champion I’m just not getting
paid the champion uh so I think it’s
time now to be like all right well they
guarantee me a title shot so let’s
become the champion so we can start
getting the the real
money and because Dana was recently
asked and he said belal has a fight uh
which had people speculating is a Kamar
Usman so do you have a fight are you
gonna take a fight before the title shot
or what was Dana talking about I mean we
got our manager we’re throwing our stuff
at them like I’m willing to fight Sean
Strickland at 185 I’m willing to go up
there that’s a title fight so like I I
had the a guarantee for a title fight
also obviously there’s at 170 the only
other person that doesn’t have a fight
is Usman but when I’m looking at it it
really doesn’t really make sense for me
unless like I said unless him getting
paid like a champion because Usman I
think is a harder matchup than Kobe or
Leon and it’s like I’m not g to get
nothing for beating I’m not going to get
a bell for beating him and fighting Gan
I’m gonna have better resume than Usman
I’m I’m my resume is gonna be tied with
freaking jsps and he’s gonna be
considered the the go to division but if
I have Usman on my resume Gilbert Burns
Wonderboy uh luuk a undefeated Sean
Brady who I think’s gonna it’s gonna pay
different once Shan Brady comes back and
fights like I be like considered the Go
goat of the welterweights without even
fighting for the belt so it really
doesn’t make any sense but they’re
offering me Sean Strickland I’m willing
to go up there and cash in my my title
ticket for that I’ll go up there and
fight him any day of the week
so what are the conversations like with
with the UFC like because we’ve seen
Shan Ali wait right he sat out for uh
essentially after he beat Peter Yan
Henry cejudo got the title shot but he
sat out he didn’t fight and then he
ended up getting his shod so what are
the conversations like with the UFC
would you be down to do that are they
down like what are the conversations
like have they offered you fight did you
tell them I’ll potentially fight if you
know if there’s a bump pay like what
have the conversations been like like
you know it’s it’s just being honest
they’re like yo neither one of these
guys like to fight Kobe and Leon sit out
for years and they don’t really like to
fight they’re not Fighters um so are you
willing to sit out and wait for them uh
to come back after whoever wins this
spell because you know if if Kobe wins
he’s gonna he’s been running for me for
for years for for his life but the fact
that he knows that I’m next he’s going
to go on a a long I think Victory Parade
if he beats ends up beting Leon and
Leon’s been running since for me since
since that fight and he’s been coming up
excuses and he’s acting like oh they’re
forcing me to fight Kobe but you know
the champion gets to choose and I think
that for a champion you want to choose
an easier fight I think he chose Kobe
because he knows it’s an easier fight
easier match up for him uh and I think
regardless both of these guys are gonna
sit out six to eight months uh after
December so it’s just up to me deciding
like yo do you want to wait uh because I
am always training I I’m always in the
room and I am impatient uh so there’s
like yo are you willing to wait are you
trying to wait for them or we had this
guy on the table we had this guy on the
table uh so it’s basically the ball’s in
your court but they never said like yo
you’re not getting a title shot anymore
they’re just like hey do you want to
wait or you get another check fighting
one of these guys but there’s not like
it’s not like boxing right where you
could get like a tuna fight there’s no
tuna fights in the UFC like the tuna
fight is either fighting shot Strickland
or fighting uh Kamar
usan so yeah is that the the way you’re
looking at it right now because or are
you going to wait to see how Colby and
and Leon plays out like what’s the play
for you right now my play is just
training for that fight right training
for both those guys because both of them
have been out for a while and both of
them guys have so many canceled fights
uh when you’re looking at their resumes
that this guy pulled out or they pulled
out or something went wrong with the
with either one of them so like I’m
planning if one of them guys pulls out I
gotta be willing to step in on short
notice at any moment so I’m training for
either one of those guys and both those
guys South balls both of them are
lefties uh so I don’t really got to
change much up if I’m specifically
training for them but if I’m training
for someone else and a different
opponent and then one of these guys pull
out then I have to make more bigger
adjustments but if I’m training for Kobe
or Leon as a backup or just in general
if they don’t want to put me as a backup
just to stay ready for one of those two
guys or if I’m just training to wait
those eight months for one of those two
guys it’s like all right now I have
focused training but if I’m sitting
there like yo maybe uh Strickland I got
to specifically train for a boxer and
with a weirder style and then if
something happens with Kobe L then they
call me he’s like yo all right now you
gotta switch up to the South B so it all
just comes down to trying to figure out
what they want and uh where they’re
goingon to put me at because that fight
is what a couple months away so it’s
like I need to know now what I’m
training
for so how about being a backup have you
told the UFC does that interest you to
come in and weigh in as a backup yeah I
mean if they’re will to pay me for sure
100% like I’m GNA be S I’m going be down
there anyway uh sitting in front row and
I’ll have my uh WWE Money in the Bank
briefcase ready to hop over at any
moment step in there regardless of
what’s if they had me if they want me to
be the backup or not but they’ve had
backups for every single title fight
recently and it’s like I don’t think I
need to be cemented as the the backup to
know that I’m next in line because they
already cemented me by saying yo you
beat Gilbert Burns you’re next you’re
fighting for the Bell next so like I
don’t need to be the backup but if they
want me to of course I mean I’m down at
their
pain and you had mentioned uh Kamar
Usman obviously he’s a former Champion
he’s at one point people were calling
him potentially uh the greatest
welterweight of all time or top two with
with GSP so a fight against him now I
know you’ve earned your title shot
undoubtedly but a fight against him does
that do something for your
career I mean of course like I said it’s
if if I’m looking that route that that’s
the route of like I want to be the
greatest welterweight to ever do it
right because people put him in that top
tier with him in GSP but if I’m going
out there and I’m beating Kamar Usman
you always had the other side too where
people are like oh well he’s on a
two-light losing streak he is old his
knees are gone and after every one of my
WIS they’re always coming up an excuse
for me so it’s
like do I really want to put that on the
line for that because you know they’re
gonna just give him more excuses to hate
on me and uh they’re gonna
never gonna give me the the credit I get
or I deserve for beating these top guys
every single guy I beaten was was
winning every single top guy I being was
supposedly the next guy best guy the guy
that should be fighting for the title
next and then I walked through them and
it’s like well that guy sucked that guy
wasn’t really good uh his style is is
trash what do he do he just wrestles
them so then my last two guys I just
kill them on the feet and it’s like oh
well no no his style sucks uh even
though I didn’t take one takedown but
like for me not it’s not about pleasing
anybody anymore it’s about knowing my
team and we’re on this plan we’ve been
on this mission for a long time so it’s
like what we all have in store for us
what we all want we all have to discuss
it as as a group because those are the
only people that are gonna be with me
win or lose no matter what so if they’re
like hey let’s go for it let’s kill
another one I’m down to kill another
one and the other option you mentioned
Sean Strickland I know you’re you’re not
the biggest fan of his but did you
actually like did you tell the OC like
I’ll fight him like do you actually talk
to them about it and is it more to do
with Sean Strickland himself or just the
idea of testing the waters at
middleweight no yeah 100 100% I I I
asked them I told him I’m willing to do
it you guys promised me a title fight
I’ll fight Sean Strickland uh
because that’s not a fight I have to
wake up for like when I’m fighting the
guys at 170 a lot of the guys I just
fought were like some of the nicest guys
in the world that I was actually like
cool with Gilbert we were cool Wonderboy
is the nicest guy in the world luk a
were’re cordial cool so it’s like I had
to like I’m obviously going to train
hard no matter what just for a victory
but when I had guys that I have
animosity with with the Sean Brady who I
was like all right now it’s got personal
let’s go I didn’t need to wake up I
wanted I wanted to hurt him Sean sens is
want to be one of those guys where I
don’t need to wake up I’m gonna go in
there trying to hurt him uh no matter
what but it’s also if I do win that 185
title which I think I will uh if I fight
Sean Strickland it’s like all right now
I got to stay at 185 so you’re gonna be
stuck there when I did so much work at
170 so it’s for me too it’s like do you
want to stay there knowing that like one
of my boys obviously uh my brother uh
Brandon Allen I think he right there one
fight away two fights away so like I
would never want to take away something
from him so it’s just a lot of like
thought process going into it but if
they’re willing to like give me Sean
Strickland next um without having to
wait that long while I think it just
comes down to whether or not Chay and
Kaa fight is uh lives up to expectations
I think if kamza wins I think Hamza wins
I think he’ll for sure get the next head
off shot um but if Kasa wins I don’t
know he’s guaranteed the next title shot
and I think that leaves an opening for
me to go in there and fight Strickland
uh especially if they’re going to do at
a time against drisk
nexts and for you ideally when would you
want to fight if you were to take a
fight before the title shot I know
ramadan’s coming up uh you’ve competed
during Ramadan before but ideally for
you when would you want to fight
I mean whenever they’re whenever they’re
asking me for I’m always training I’m
always ready for it Knowing Me Knowing
the way that uh they they’ve played my
career out I’m probably gonna get the
title shot offer during radan right in
the middle snap dab uh but we’ve gone
through it right we we’ve done it we we
made it through every single time and we
won every single time
so I know that they’re never gonna give
me anything or hand it to me on a silver
platter and we had a claw and work our
way just to get to where we are today so
I don’t got got no recommendations of
when I should fight whenever they call
I’m ready to
go you almost feel like it’ll make your
story that much sweeter the fact that
it’s been such a tough road and
sometimes people hate on you for no
reason just everything about it does
this you feel like it’s going to make
the story that much sweeter at the end
yeah 100% uh because I was never given
anything I was never uh handed anything
I was never given the the easy Road I I
I literally told everybody that I was
going to have to go through 1 through
three four five six seven eight to get
to where I am and now I am here I’m on a
10f fight winning streak um and people
are still doubting me people are still
saying that he doesn’t deserve this or
doesn’t deserve that and all I do is
keep beating their favorite Fighters and
they always have an excuse after every
single one uh but the people that are
with me the people that know how hard I
work the people that know how much work
and energy and uh skill like I literally
eat breathe uh the sport and I love the
sport and I and I and I’ll die for the
sport so like people don’t
know what it took for me to get to where
I am today um so when I get that title
fight when I get that
title it’s just gonna be like kind of
like just a sense of relief and kind of
like a I told you so you guys didn’t
believe it now you see it um so none of
it really matters because social media
is fake people are fake fans are fake uh
the only ones that are going to be with
you are truly that your family your
friends and your
team and I referenced Sean Ali earlier
him waiting but then we’ve seen the
likes of benil darush who was on a great
winning streak Tony Ferguson was interim
champ to fight winning streak they kept
fighting and then eventually they never
got that Undisputed shot so do you ever
think about that that maybe it would be
a good idea just to wait even though I
know you like to be
active yeah 100% you see you hear those
stories and you see those stories but
like also too people like to compare
myself to other other the these other
guys but like none of these other guys
were really fighting the level of
competition as I’m fighting I’ve had
four or five four top five wins uh like
benus didn’t had that he had a long
streak great streak amazing streak yeah
of course uh but it’s not comparable
because I’m fighting literally guys that
they said was gonna be next for the
title and they’re not giving him my
title fight Tony Ferguson yeah he was in
there but he had his own little issues
of tripping over wires and injuring
himself uh so like his title fights were
just bad luck but for me I think I’m I
was just never even offered despite spot
I was never even offered a shot at the
title so like once I get that shot once
I get the title fight people are going
to realize wait let’s look back at his
resume bro this guy’s being the best
striker in the 170 pound Division and
Wonderboy dominated him wait wait he
beat two amazing Grapplers and Damen MAA
and Gilbert Burns oh my God wait he beat
an undefeated Prospect wrestler who’s
probably gonna stay UND uh keep winning
after he finally comes back like they’re
going to look back at my resume like bro
this guy was uh one of the best Welter
rats to ever do and once I get the bout
then I can start cementing my legacy as
the best Welter rate to ever do
it would best case scenario be you get
pegged as as the backup you’re training
right now like you said you’re always in
the gym but you be weighing in as a
backup right now is that do you feel
like that’s the the best case scenario
best case scenario is I think uh if
mazal finishes the job he sees Kobe at
the restaurant uh really gives them
brain damage and then I’m fighting Leon
the fight that should have been what it
should have been and that’s the real
title fight and we end up fighting
December whatever um but hopefully M
gets that
message well now you you talked about
wanting to to fight Leon but now that
Leon’s fighting kobby do you have a
preference and who wins because I know
you’ve been calling out Kobe for years
you have unfinished business with Leon
so is there a preference in terms of who
you would rather fight for the
title uh I mean I think I’d rather fight
Leon just because the unfinished
business but obviously the the buildup
with Kobe would be funner right even
with this fight now with Kobe and Leon
Leon’s really not saying anything and
that’s why you see Kobe calling out uh
Islam you see him calling out Strickland
calling out all these random people just
trying to throw stuff and see if anybody
responds to him because he knows Leon’s
Not Really Gonna respond to him so there
wouldn’t be like a fun buildup with me
and Leon but I would definitely want the
Leon fight more just because he has the
the longest winning streak in the
division now and he just beat Usman
twice who I thought I could be wanted to
be the one to to stop his streak and his
Reign and he did it so if I go out there
and with my 10 fight winning streak and
I beat Leon who’s on a 12 or 13 fight
winning streak um I think it’ll just
cement me as one of the best to ever do
it I think Kobe’s a way easier fight for
sure uh and I think it’ll be a a funner
fight just to just slap him and punch
him in his mouth and because I think if
he loses this fight he’s for sure
retiring he’s not gonna stay here so I
wouldn’t want not to get the chance to
actually hit Kobe in his mouth uh but
yeah I would rather have Leon just
because of the streak he’s on uh and his
resume and just just because of our
unfinished
business do you think Colby retires I
think it was Matt Brown that also said
that uh do you think Colby actually
retires if he loses oh 100% like he’s
not he’s not a guy that’s gonna fight
contenders like you’ve seen it the UFC’s
literally given a older guys on their
way out every single one of his fights
just just so he get a win and they give
him a title fight like there’s no more
more older guys in the division for him
to fight if he loses to Leon there’s no
more older guys on their way out that
all right maybe we could give him him
maybe they’ll throw him Tony Ferguson if
Tony Ferguson stay at 170 but like I
doubt it because this will be the third
title shot that he’s gonna lose um and I
just like Matt Brown said I don’t think
he’s not a fighter he’s a he’s a guy
that loves to build up loves to loves to
be fake loves to have the the people
tear him or or boo him but like if he
loses this one he’s gonna all of his
loser fans and his uh fake fans they’re
all gonna realize wait this dude does
really suck and they’re not GNA be with
him anymore so then he’s gonna have to
look at other ways to to make
money and when you hear kby mention
Islam’s name and Islam expressing
interest in fighting kby does that worry
you that if kby wins and Islam wins that
the UFC would even think about that
option I mean it doesn’t worry I mean
obviously Islam is is a man right and
somebody calls you out you’re going to
respond to him like I said that’s what
Kobe’s doing he’s trying to get a
response because he know it’s going to
make headlines he going to get talk but
I think for Islam it’s like he still has
a lot of fights that could be next for
him at 155 right he still has the
Olivera fight still there uh he still
has Justin gatu just came off a huge win
and obviously the banovski fight so I
don’t I don’t even think the UFC would
even look at that fight obviously it
would be a huge fight but I don’t think
they would book that fight so soon
because he does have huge fights at 155
still that being said how do you see
Leon and Kobe playing
out I think uh Kobe’s gonna come out
throwing his wild random strikes uh his
literally terrible technique I think
Leon’s gonna move around throw some good
high kicks body kicks low kicks uh
Kobe’s gonna take a couple of terrible
shots and he’s gonna realize that he
can’t take Leon down Leon probably will
get taken
down in the first round second round
then once it gets later to the third or
fourth fourth round I think he’s going
to start feeling the the kicks from Leon
his body’s going to start hurting and I
think Leon’s going to get a finish in
the fourth
round have you been impressed with Leon
lately like his recent run to becoming
champion and then his rematch with or
his Trilogy I should say with
kamaru I mean it wasn’t a recent run to
get to get to the title right he was out
two years poke me in the eye then he
fought Nate Diaz and got a title shot
off of beat Nate Diaz so it wasn’t a
crazy run to get to the title even
before that is like you beat Don Cerrone
you beat RDA Nate Diaz those are all
55ers that you got your title shot off
of I am impressed with the the third
fight uh in the fight that he had with
Usman for sure like he he came back with
a different game plan different style uh
used really good footwork and defended a
lot of the takedowns but yeah the run
leadup to the title fight wasn’t
impressive but definitely for sure the
the third fight was
impressive so how would you approach the
rematch with Leon differently I know you
guys didn’t get to compete for that long
but if you could take both of you have
also improved since then but how would
you approach things differently if you
were to get to rematch
Leon there wasn’t really an approach
with that one it was it was literally a
twoe notice fight first Main Event
coming off of a fight with Diego Lima so
like there wasn’t enough time to even
really watch tape on him because he was
out for two years before that fight so
we didn’t even know which type of Leon
was gonna come um but our approach our
ways of figuring out Fighters breaking
Fighters down is better than any other
Camp any other team in the world like we
figure out what these guys weaknesses
are we figure out how to make our
strength their weakness and we exploit
that every single fight and you’ve seen
it you see me fight backwards you see me
fight laterally you see me fight forward
I switched my style based off my
opponent so if I were to fight Leon I
would literally break him I would do
what usma was doing to him that second
fight uh but I want to take my foot off
the
gas and uh before I let you go and I
appreciate your time just a couple of
predictions I want to get from you uh
they announced Wonderboy and shaad how
do you see that one playing
out uh I think people are like
underestimating or overestimating Shop
cats wrestling uh obviously he’s a great
fighter great Striker his ju was really
good but we really haven’t seen him
offensive wrestling unless guys are like
bringing it toward him I don’t think
Wonderboy gonna be bringing any
wrestling toward him at all uh so I
think it’ll be more of a striking fight
and I think Wonder Boy is one of the
best strikers in the world so I think
it’ll be a tougher matchup than a lot of
people are expecting but you know shot
cat’s really good and he always figures
out ways to win you always figures out
ways to finish but uh I’m excited for
that one for
sure and I know this one isn’t walway
but Hamza used to be at wal and someone
that was kind of uh on your radar Hamza
and paoc Costa how about that one I mean
I’m excited for that I was literally
just watching tape on both of those guys
yesterday just to watch it uh and I
think it’s going to come down to cardio
and I think both of them they both have
uh will neither one of them guys will
break mentally in the cage but I think
it’ll come down to for sure cardio
because I think they’re both gonna fight
with emotion they’re they’re both gonna
be fighting with anger and KAS is really
good at attacking the body with kicks
punches uh but I think I do think after
rewatching tape on I do think Hamza will
be able to take him down because I’ve
seen a couple guys get their hands
locked on Costa get body locks on him um
and even like you know guys like rockold
shot in deep on him but he just didn’t
have the energy to to finish him I think
Hamza will be able to finish it so it’s
it’s about Costa’s get up ability and uh
being safe on the ground without giving
up his neck for chokes or anything like
that but it’s also about Hamza not going
all out in the first 30 seconds like
he’s been doing lately because he’s been
a lot bigger and stronger than a lot of
these guys
uh he just can’t do that I think it’s
going to be a lot of it’s going to be
taking place on the feet um but yeah I’m
G be down their front row for that one
excited yes you will because the day
before you will be is it your grappling
debut is this gonna be your first
grappling match uh we’re actually not
doing that anymore just because they
they booked this title fight so I’m like
I’m training for either one of these
guys so I was like yeah I can’t take a
chance of anything happening having a
freaking Cub Swanson AC out uh over a
grapple match I’m like all right now
they finally got a date now I got
nothing else to focus on but these two
guys so I’m like I don’t even want to
take my my head somewhere else I was
Lally just going to ask you that the the
you know I know the willingness to stay
active and then so that was booked
before you agreed to that before they
made the title fight official yeah yeah
100% yeah I was sitting there and they
offered it I was like oh yeah for sure
I’ll be down there anyway and then all
of a sudden the next week they make the
title fight I was like ah crap and I was
like still trying to do both and I was
like I’m going to do it but then I was
like I wasn’t going to not take anything
serious so if I’m competing anything I’m
going to take a full force 100% serious
so then I was like I’m gonna do more
jiujitsu but then I’m like watching tape
on Kobe and Leon and I was like you know
what I can’t I can’t get my head
somewhere else somewhere there and put
my energy somewhere where uh like I
don’t really care that much about it
like it’s just a grappl match to me so I
wouldn’t have really cared 100% on it so
I was like you know what let’s just
focus on this title fight focus on both
of these two guys and that’s the real
money’s at fair enough well B I
appreciate you doing this thank you so
much for taking the time and I’ll see
you out there in Dubai abui inah sure
see you
soon
