A conspiracy swirling around Islam Makhachev and his team has sparked a heated debate about whether his camp is quietly steering the title picture toward an easier path for him—and whether his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, stands to gain from pairing championship bouts with his other clients.
Andrew Richardson, a professional fighter training with Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, offers MMAmania.com readers expert technical breakdowns and insider analysis you won’t find elsewhere.
Belal Muhammad, a former UFC Welterweight champion, isn’t eager to see Kamaru Usman get another title shot anytime soon. After Makhachev moved up to 170 pounds and cooled Jack Della Maddalena to win the welterweight belt, a surge of contenders emerged. Carlos Prates and Michael Morales scored emphatic knockouts that night, joining a rising cohort that already includes seasoned threats like Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry. It was a landmark moment for Welterweight talent, yet the next opponent for Makhachev remains unsettled.
Makhachev has publicly favored Usman, the former champ who defeated Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta earlier this year. Before that victory, Usman had endured a winless stretch over three fights and spent considerable time on the sidelines.
Muhammad and Makhachev may be allies, but Muhammad questions whether Usman should be next in line. He refers to a perception that a plan is in motion to engineer an easier title challenge for Makhachev, while Abdelaziz, who also manages Usman and other top fighters, could benefit from multiple title fights under his umbrella.
Muhammad asked, in his words: who truly deserves the next title shot in a welterweight division led by Makhachev? Morales, he argues, has earned it. Yet he acknowledges “seeds” being planted—that Makhachev might be nudged toward Usman as the next challenger because they share the same manager.
He also contends that Usman would be an easier matchup for Makhachev, noting Usman’s limited activity—one fight in three years—and a recent 1-3 record, while Muhammad himself remains at 2-2 despite two recent losses. He criticizes Usman for reportedly turning down a fight, suggesting that such decisions should not automatically merit a title shot.
Muhammad closes by reiterating his call to face “The Nigerian Nightmare” in Usman, a long-standing rivalry dating back to a contentious podcast appearance that allegedly ended in a physical altercation. No booking has been made yet, leaving Welterweight matchups for 2026 shrouded in uncertainty.
Overall, the debate centers on whether strategic matchmaking and management influence who gets title opportunities, and how fans should interpret those dynamics as the Welterweight division evolves.
