Shavkat Rakhmonov Vs Kamaru Usman?

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Belal Muhammad believes the bone infection that booted him from UFC 310 next month in Las Vegas will be under control — and perhaps even a distant memory — in roughly six weeks, eliminating the need for the promotion to create an interim title.

Opponent Shavkat Rakhmonov is not so sure.

“I don’t believe it’s going to be six weeks,” Rakhmonov told Uncrowned. “I believe Jack Della [Maddalena] had the same problem with infection and he’s still not back. It can take awhile.”

Maddalena was hospitalized with infection back in May.

“I believe there are worthy opponents available,” Rakhmonov added. “I’m ready to save the card too if it’s for the interim belt. I believe Usman would be ready to jump in to face me. Belal don’t need to be greedy. If I become interim champ, he’s still going to have a belt too. And it’s going to be champ vs champ, even bigger fight.”

Let’s hope Rakhmonov has better luck than Ian Garry did ahead of UFC Tampa.

“Right now, negotiations are going on,” manager Sayat Abdrakhmanov added. “Obviously [UFC] is talking. I don’t know if they are talking to someone else, but I’m sure they offered it to Kamaru [Usman], too.”

Usman has a history of taking short-notice fights against undefeated phenoms.

Stay tuned.