Belal Muhammad explains why he’s done chasing Kamaru Usman, bouncing back from vertigo during Ian Machado Garry fight

Belal Muhammad has officially given up on fighting Kamaru Usman, accepting that the former welterweight champion has no interest in ever sharing the octagon with him. After months of trading barbs and public calls for a matchup, the UFC's decision to book Muhammad against rising prospect Gabriel Bonfim for the UFC Vegas 118 main event on Saturday made it clear the fight would never happen. Muhammad told MMA Fighting he's moving forward without looking back.

"For me, it's like I'm not even thinking about him anymore," Muhammad said of Usman. "The guy's been avoiding me forever. So I'm not going to keep chasing somebody." The welterweight contender emphasized that continuing to call out Usman would only make him look like a bully, so he's shifted his focus entirely to Bonfim and reclaiming his winning form after consecutive losses.

Beyond the failed matchup with Usman, Muhammad revealed he fought through a serious health issue during his November title loss to Ian Machado Garry. The former champion came down with vertigo shortly after making weight in Qatar—something he'd never experienced before—and struggled with the condition throughout the fight. Compounded by eye pokes that affected his performance, Muhammad faced a genuinely compromised situation. "I went into that fight with vertigo," he explained. "I was literally head shaking the whole time." Despite nearly withdrawing, he chose to compete rather than pull out on short notice.

Muhammad says the medical staff in Qatar couldn't provide clear answers, attributing it to a chemical imbalance possibly linked to contaminated protein shakes. With no effective treatment offered beyond rest and soup, he was left to fight through the condition.

Now recovered and refocused, Muhammad sees Bonfim as an opportunity to remind the elite welterweight division—and himself—why he belongs at the championship level. "I still think I'm the best fighter in the welterweight division but I've just got to go out there and prove it," he said.