Belal Muhammad Out at UFC 310: UFC Scrambling to Find Replacement

The highly anticipated UFC 310 main event has been thrown into disarray as welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has been forced to withdraw from his title defense against the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov. The news, which broke on Halloween, has sent shockwaves through the MMA community and left UFC matchmakers scrambling to salvage the card scheduled for December 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Belal Muhammad’s official statement and look at his gnarly infection 👀 😳

“Caught a bone infection in my foot .. had to put a picc line in my arm for iv antibiotics the next 6 weeks with no physical activity … Allahs plan is the best plan I’m sorry to everyone that were… pic.twitter.com/61kMk37hqJ

— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) October 31, 2024

Muhammad, who captured the welterweight title at UFC 304 with a unanimous decision victory over Leon Edwards, was set to make his first title defense against the formidable Rakhmonov. The champion’s withdrawal, while unfortunate, opens the door for potential replacements and intriguing matchmaking possibilities.

As the UFC brass works tirelessly to find a suitable replacement, several names have emerged as potential candidates to step in on short notice. Undefeated Irish sensation Ian Garry has thrown his hat into the ring, expressing interest in facing Rakhmonov via social media. Garry, coming off a hard-fought decision win over Michael Page at UFC 303 in June, sees this as an opportunity to catapult himself into title contention.

Other welterweight contenders in the mix include Jack Della Maddalena, who has been making waves in the division with his impressive performances. While former champions Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards have been mentioned, their recent setbacks make them less likely options. Usman is currently riding a three-fight losing streak, while Edwards is fresh off losing the title to Muhammad in July.

In an interesting twist, reports have surfaced that light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has been offered a short-notice bout against Magomed Ankalaev. This potential matchup, while exciting, would do little to address the welterweight title picture left in limbo by Muhammad’s withdrawal.

Alex Pereira reacts to Belal Muhammad’s withdrawal from #UFC310 👀👀👀

“☎️” #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/fp1wz44NxN

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 31, 2024

The loss of the main event is a significant blow to UFC 310, which was shaping up to be a stacked card to close out the year. The event had already suffered a setback with the withdrawal of Tatiana Suarez from her strawweight title eliminator against Virna Jandiroba. However, the card still boasts a co-main event title fight between flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and challenger Kai Asakura, as well as high-stakes matchups featuring Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling and Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov.

As the MMA world awaits an official announcement from the UFC regarding the new main event, speculation runs rampant. Will Rakhmonov face a replacement opponent in a non-title or interim title fight? Or will the promotion elevate another bout to main event status? The coming days will be crucial as matchmakers work to maintain the integrity and appeal of UFC 310.

As fight fans anxiously await updates, one thing is certain: the UFC 310 card is in flux, and the promotion’s ability to adapt and deliver a compelling main event will be put to the test. With just over a month until fight night, time is of the essence, and the MMA community will be watching closely to see how this situation unfolds.