UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis got the latest laugh over Belal Muhammad.
Dricus du Plessis said he was ‘satisfied’ watching one of the top middleweight prospects lose earlier this month.
But it’s safe to say that Belal Muhammad‘s loss at UFC 315 left the middleweight champ more pleased.
Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena treated the Montreal crowd to a wild firefight at UFC 315. It was a high-octane matchup from start to finish, with Della Maddalena shocking the defending champion Muhammad with his striking prowess.
Della Maddalena dethroned Muhammad by unanimous decision to cap off his remarkable 18-fight win streak. For Muhammad, the loss snapped an 11-fight unbeaten streak, including his title win over Leon Edwards last July.
Dricus du Plessis mocks Belal Muhammad just minutes after UFC 315 title loss
After winning the UFC welterweight title last year, Muhammad teased a potential move to middleweight to challenge Du Plessis and the top contenders. Amidst Islam Makhachev‘s likely welterweight move, Muhammad dismissed a possible fight with his teammate, stating he’d rather move to 185 lbs than face Makhachev.
Du Plessis didn’t take kindly to Muhammad’s taunts, especially after Muhammad called the middleweight division the easiest in the UFC. Du Plessis most recently defeated Sean Strickland at UFC 312 and is likely set to face Khamzat Chimaev later this year.
Muhammad and du Plessis traded barbs on social media for months leading up to UFC 315. After Muhammad’s stunning setback in the Octagon on Saturday night, it didn’t take long for du Plessis to get a few jabs in.
In a recent post on X, du Plessis belittled Muhammad after his UFC welterweight title defeat.
“[Belal Muhammad] Well done. JK!” Du Plessis posted just minutes after Muhammad’s loss.
As of this writing, Muhammad hasn’t issued any public remarks since UFC 315.
Before falling to Della Maddalena at UFC 315, Muhammad was one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world with recent wins over Gilbert Burns, Stephen Thompson, and Edwards. Despite the setback, Muhammad hasn’t lost consecutive fights in his career, a trend he’ll look to continue in his future comeback.
As for Della Maddalena, the newly-crowned welterweight champion is on a likely collision course with the UFC’s pound-for-pound king.
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Islam Makhachev confirmed a double-champion run after UFC 315
Shortly after the UFC 315 main event, Makhachev took to X, all but confirming a move up to welterweight to challenge for a second belt.
“Time to become a double champion. Let’s go,” Makhachev posted.
On Friday, Makhachev claimed he doesn’t plan to vacate his UFC lightweight championship, setting up a potential interim title bout at UFC 317. Former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is expected to fight for an interim belt at UFC 317 if the matchmakers go in that direction.
Makhachev and Della Maddalena could clash later this year, potentially in either Australia or Abu Dhabi. Makhachev defended the UFC lightweight belt against Renato Moicano earlier this year at UFC 311.
After the result of the UFC 315 headliner, UFC fans are in for quite a treat later in 2025. We’ll keep you updated on UFC fight announcements for the summer slate as they surface.