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Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Belal Muhammad after UFC Vegas 118 loss?

Belal Muhammad's time as the top welterweight is becoming an increasingly distant memory after he suffered another loss in the UFC Fight Night 278 main event.

Muhammad (24-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) had no answers for Gabriel Bonfim (20-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) on Saturday at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. He lost all five rounds on each of the three judges' scorecards, marking his third consecutive defeat since being dethroned of UFC gold by Jack Della Maddalena in May 2025.

Muhammad struggled to find ways to be effective in his previous setbacks to Della Maddalena and Ian Machado Garry, but those losses are to a more proven caliber of fighter than Bonfim, respectfully.

Maybe Bonfim goes on to be that guy in the division. Unfortunately, that does nothing of benefit to Muhammad now. He turns 38 next month, and this is obviously a proven danger zone for a fighter.

It's not to say Muhammad can't still get some significant wins in this division. His rival and fellow former champion Kamaru Usman was ironically in a nearly identical situation of three straight losses, and he managed to get back on track with a main event win over Joaquin Buckley.

Can Muhammad do the same? There's no doubt he will try. His post-fight body language didn't represent someone who was thinking about retirement, and the optimist would argue he's still in the top 10 of arguably the best weight class in the sport right now.

The pessimist, however, can claim that Muhammad's career is on the ropes. He has never received beneficial treatment from the UFC, and if any of the brass think his use has nearly expired, then there's probably another tough fight coming his way.

There's a good chance Muhammad gets another welterweight on the rise. Canadian standout Mike Malott (14-2-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC), who has won four straight, and former Bellator champion Yaroslav Amosov (30-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), are two names hungry to get a signature name on their resume, and Muhammad would be that for either.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Vegas 118 matchmaker: Who's next for Belal Muhammad after loss?

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