Belal Muhammad Teases Middleweight Move in Exchange with Khamzat Chimaev

Belal Muhammad and Khamzat Chimaev are seemingly teasing a future matchup.

Muhammad is scheduled to defend his welterweight title in the main event at UFC 315 on May 10 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Middleweight contender Chimaev recently took a shot at Muhammad, calling him a “pony.”

“Bullyb170 where are you going, pony,” Chimaev wrote.

bullyb170 куда ты лезешь пони 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/i4HMuSSavJ

— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) April 29, 2025

In response, Muhammad teased a move up to middleweight, which could possibly put them on a collision course.

“Goin to middleweight,” he wrote.

Goin to middleweight https://t.co/u4QzXQb3iP pic.twitter.com/owTlYl8HHH

— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) April 29, 2025

While Chimaev used to primarily fight at 170 pounds, the weight cut was too steep for him, which led to him missing weight by a massive 7.5 pounds at UFC 279 in 2022. “Borz” then permanently moved up to middleweight, where he defeated Kamaru Usman via decision and most recently submitted Robert Whittaker in the first round. Morne Visser, the coach of middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis recently confirmed that Chimaev is getting the next title shot.

However, Muhammad moving up to middleweight will open up opportunities for his friend, Islam Makhachev. The lightweight champion has been stalling his planned move to welterweight to avoid fighting “Remember the Name.” That, in turn, would open the champ slot at 155 pounds, which former featherweight champ Ilia Topuria is eyeing. However, there have been rumors that both Topuria and Makhachev are currently preparing for fights.