At UFC 315, Belal Muhammad is set to make his first defense of the welterweight title, a defense that was previously delayed due to a serious injury.
Following his victory over Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in July, the newly crowned champion was scheduled to return later in 2024 to face the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Unfortunately, Muhammad had to withdraw from his planned UFC 310 bout against Rakhmonov due to the injury, which led to Rakhmonov facing and defeating Ian Machado Garry instead.
Having recovered from the injury, `Remember the Name` is now slated to face Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on May 10, as Rakhmonov was unavailable for the date.
Injuries have significantly impacted the top of the welterweight division, but for the current champion, the situation could have been far more severe.
Belal Muhammad discusses the seriousness of his toe infection and his fortunate recovery
Muhammad shared details about the toe injury and subsequent infection he battled before UFC 310, making it clear this was not an issue he could have fought through.
During a recent appearance on Demetrious Johnson’s MIGHTYcast, the 36-year-old elaborated on the setback, recalling his doctor`s assessment.
Muhammad explained that the infection was severe because the underlying injury, a broken toe, allowed the infection to penetrate directly into the bone, accelerating its spread.
“Since it got infected and the toe was broken, the infection went straight into the bone and got in there quicker. So it spread a lot faster,” Muhammad stated.
“If it was just on the skin, then it would’ve been easier to deal with it and the antibiotics would’ve worked and it wouldn’t have spread as fast but he said since the toe was broken, it went into the toe and it went into the bone right away. Then, it was starting to spread so he had to get in there right away.”
Fortunately, as his doctor informed him, two factors worked in Muhammad`s favor, helping him fight the infection and achieve a full recovery.
He sought medical attention quickly, and his status as a professional athlete meant his body was strong enough to combat the infection effectively.
Muhammad’s doctor noted that many individuals suffering from similar bone infections are not as lucky, often requiring amputation of the affected area to prevent further spread.
“He was like, ‘If you’d waited a couple more days, it would have grown up the foot. Since you’re healthy, luckily most the people that have bone infections are diabetics and a lot of the time I’m cutting it right away,’” Muhammad recounted.
“‘I’m either cutting a toe, cutting a foot – it’s coming off. But, luckily for you, we’ll give you four weeks, hopefully the antibiotics will kick in, it’ll work and we’ll see it but I see you being healthy and your body fighting it.’ Thank God it was.”
Potential challengers line up for Belal Muhammad post-UFC 315
Due to his injury withdrawal from UFC 310, Belal Muhammad now faces a line of potential opponents eager for a title shot if he successfully defends his belt against Jack Della Maddalena on May 10.
A rematch with Shavkat Rakhmonov remains a highly anticipated possibility, but several other contenders have secured significant wins since Rakhmonov`s last fight.
Additionally, the lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has hinted at a potential move up to the welterweight division, adding another major name to the list of potential future opponents.
While Muhammad`s immediate focus is undoubtedly on his first challenger, Jack Della Maddalena, numerous big names are keenly awaiting the outcome of the UFC 315 main event to pursue their own title aspirations.
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