6:34 PM ET

UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad said he intends to cut 44 pounds in the next 11 days for a short-notice fight against Gilbert Burns at UFC 288 on May 6.

Muhammad (22-3) is scheduled to face Burns (22-5) in a welterweight bout that will likely catapult the winner to a 170-pound title shot. The fight came together on two weeks' notice after the UFC lost its lightweight co-main event between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush because of injury. UFC 288 takes place in Newark, New Jersey.

Muhammad, 34, did not have a fight scheduled prior to agreeing to this matchup but still felt confident enough to reach out to the UFC and request a spot on the card once the co-main event fell apart. He said he usually weighs 177 pounds at this point in a regular fight camp.

"I've got a couple experiences [with drastic weight cuts]," Muhammad told ESPN. "To me, it's not about the weight. It's about getting to fight night and throwing down."

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Ian Larios, Muhammad's nutritionist, told ESPN he had no concerns about making weight. Larios is well-known in MMA. Earlier this year, he helped UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill make weight for a short-notice title fight against Glover Teixeira in Brazil. He also worked with retired former two-weight champion Daniel Cormier.

"He'll be good to go," Larios told ESPN. "He'll be first on the scale. With how hard Belal works and his mindset, it will be a walk in the park. He's built different. I haven't seen a guy who has his mindset, what he's willing to do to get this title."

Weight cutting is commonplace in MMA. There are some infamous examples of drastic cuts on short notice. Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman said he cut 34 pounds in 10 days for a fight in 2015. Retired lightweight Paul Felder said he cut about 24 pounds in three days for what turned out to be the final fight of his career in 2020.

In addition to the welterweight contest occurring on short notice, it's been booked for five rounds instead of the traditional three. Muhammad said that was at his request.

"I actually talked to [retired former champion] Khabib Nurmagomedov and he said, 'Brother, I think you should do five rounds,'" Muhammad said. "I was like, 'That's a good thought.' My team knows what I'm capable of. I'm a guy who gets stronger as rounds get deeper. When most guys start breaking and getting tired, that's what gives me more fuel and more energy."

Muhammad is on an eight-fight win streak. Burns just picked up a three-round win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287 earlier this month in Miami.

Belal muhammad intends cut 44 lbs 11 days gilbert burns fight

2023-04-26 07:01:37