# Belal Muhammad Open to Mike Malott Showdown in Toronto: 'Definitely Makes Sense'

Source: SportsBriefly (https://sportsbriefly.com)
Canonical URL: https://sportsbriefly.com/en/mma/belal-muhammad-open-to-mike-malott-showdown-in-toronto-definitely-makes-sense-20
Language: en
Published: 2026-10-21T15:18:09.731+00:00
Updated: 2026-10-21T15:18:09.793319+00:00

> Muhammad, a former welterweight champion riding a three-fight skid, says a clash with surging Canadian Mike Malott in Toronto "definitely makes sense" — provided a legacy fight with Kamaru Usman does not come together first.

## TL;DR
- Belal Muhammad says he would welcome a fight against Mike Malott next, while Kamaru Usman remains his preferred option.
- Muhammad (24-6) is on a three-fight losing streak; Malott (15-2-1) is on a five-fight win streak after his KO-of-the-Year-contending knee over Joaquin Buckley.
- UFC 336 is slated for Toronto in January, giving the all-welterweight matchup an obvious landing spot — though no bout has been officially announced.

## Key points
- Belal Muhammad said on his YouTube channel he would welcome a fight with Mike Malott next.
- Kamaru Usman remains Muhammad's preferred opponent, but the former champion says he will not sit out waiting.
- Muhammad (24-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) is on a three-fight skid after losses to Jack Della Maddalena, Ian Machado Garry and Gabriel Bonfim.
- Malott (15-2-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has won five straight, capped by a KO-of-the-Year-contending knee finish of Joaquin Buckley at UFC Edmonton on Oct 18.
- Muhammad ranks No. 7 and Malott No. 8 in the latest Meta UFC welterweight rankings.
- UFC 336 is scheduled for Toronto, Ontario in January — a natural homecoming slot for the Canadian.

Former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has opened the door to one of the most logical bookings in the division — a showdown with surging Canadian contender Mike Malott. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Muhammad confirmed he would welcome the fight for his next appearance, making Malott the clear Plan B if his preferred clash with Kamaru Usman fails to come together.

"The fight definitely makes sense. You know we want to fight (Kamaru) Usman, but I'm not gonna sit there and wait," Muhammad said. "If Usman's not trying to go, then for sure Proper Mike Malott would definitely be a yes on my end."

![Belal Muhammad ahead of his UFC welterweight title run](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792595882713-2e2utf-mma-inside1-2026-10-21-evening.jpg)

The timing of the comments, which surfaced on Wednesday, is no accident. Muhammad has been out of the Octagon since June, and the welterweight division has been moving without him. Once the man who dethroned Leon Edwards and briefly sat atop the 170-pound mountain, the 38-year-old now finds himself fighting to stay relevant in a weight class crowded with young contenders.

Muhammad's recent form makes his urgency understandable. He has lost three straight fights — a stretch that includes setbacks against former champion Jack Della Maddalena and former title challenger Ian Machado Garry before a unanimous-decision defeat to Gabriel Bonfim at UFC Fight Night 278 in June. His record stands at 24-6 in MMA and 15-6 in the UFC, but numbers alone do not capture the stakes. For a fighter who built his reputation on relentless pace and an iron chin, the skid has raised legitimate questions about whether the former champion can still hang with the division's rising generation.

![UFC Edmonton: Buckley vs Malott fight-week photo](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792595885988-6p0phs-mma-inside2-2026-10-21-evening.jpg)

Usman has been Muhammad's preferred dance partner for some time. The former champion wants a legacy fight against the man who ruled the division before him, and the matchup would carry real meaning for the welterweight hierarchy. But Muhammad is no longer willing to wait on matchmakers. At 38, with three consecutive defeats behind him, inactivity is its own kind of defeat.

Enter "Proper" Mike Malott, who could hardly be a hotter name in the division right now. The 33-year-old Canadian is 15-2-1 in MMA and 8-1 in the UFC, riding a five-fight winning streak that he capped in spectacular fashion. Just three days ago, Malott folded Joaquin Buckley with a brutal knee in the main event of UFC Fight Night 291 in Edmonton — a finish immediately being discussed as a Knockout of the Year candidate.

That performance changed Malott's trajectory overnight. Where he was once viewed as a promising prospect still answering questions about a main-card collapse against Neil Magny at UFC 297, he is now knocking on the door of genuine contention. A fight against Muhammad would represent a meaningful step up in class: the Canadian has never faced a former UFC titleholder in the Octagon, with former title challenger Gilbert Burns the closest comparable name on his résumé.

The rankings suggest the matchup is made to order. In the most recently updated Meta UFC Rankings, Muhammad sits at No. 7 and Malott occupies No. 8 — adjacent rungs on the ladder, the classic formula for a contender eliminator. The USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings place Malott one spot lower at No. 9, but the conclusion is the same: this is a fight between two fighters separated by almost nothing on paper, with everything separating them in career momentum.

Stylistically, the pairing is fascinating. Muhammad's game is built on wrestling, suffocating cardio and extraordinary durability — the exact attributes that have frustrated finishers throughout his career. Malott, by contrast, has been a highlight machine during his five-fight surge, and his knockout of Buckley showed a willingness to take risks in the biggest moments. Could Muhammad drag the Canadian into deep water over five rounds, or would Malott's explosiveness solve the puzzle that has stymied so many before him?

Geography adds another layer of intrigue. UFC 336 is scheduled for Toronto, Ontario in January, and Malott has made no secret of his desire to be on that card. Speaking after the Buckley win, he name-checked Muhammad — along with Della Maddalena and Michael Morales — as the kind of opponents who could get him excited about a hometown return. "I'm ready to defend Canada in the Octagon. So when they come back in January, expect me to be there," Malott said.

There is also unfinished business for Malott in Toronto. His lone UFC defeat — the Magny fight that briefly knocked him off the bandwagon — happened in that very city. A main-card victory over a former champion on the same soil would close that loop in emphatic fashion.

For Muhammad, the appeal is different but equally clear. A win over a surging top-10 opponent would snap his losing streak and prove he remains a factor against the division's new wave — exactly what he needs before anyone takes talk of title contention seriously again. A loss, meanwhile, would be difficult to recover from, which is precisely why the matchup carries real risk for both men.

It is worth emphasizing what this is and is not: a public expression of interest, not a signed contract. No official fight announcement has been made, and the UFC's January Toronto card is still taking shape. But when a former champion publicly says a fight "definitely makes sense" — and the numbers, the rankings, the timing and the geography all agree — it usually means the conversation has already started. The welterweight division's next chapter may well begin in Toronto, with two men moving in opposite directions colliding to find out who belongs where.

Mentions: Belal Muhammad, Mike Malott, Kamaru Usman, Joaquin Buckley, Gabriel Bonfim, Ian Machado Garry, Jack Della Maddalena, UFC, UFC 336, Toronto

## Sources
- [heavy.com](https://heavy.com/sports/ufc/belal-muhammad-welcomes-mike-malott-fight/)
- [geosuper.tv](https://www.geosuper.tv/latest/60614-belal-muhammad-willing-to-face-mike-malott-in-next-fight)
- [mmamania.com](https://www.mmamania.com/ufc-news/480784/former-champ-belal-muhammad-open-to-fighting-surging-mike-malott-next-definitely-makes-sense)
- [mmajunkie.usatoday.com](https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/story/sports/ufc/2026/10/21/belal-muhammad-mike-malott-next-ufc-welterweight-fight/92357261007/)