Belal Muhammad thinks the UFC middleweight title picture just proved a hard truth: in 2026, being loud can matter as much as stacking wins. After Sean Strickland was booked to challenge Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328, Muhammad said Nassourdine Imavov was the guy who actually earned the shot, then doubled down with a prediction that’s pure violence talk.
On his YouTube channel, Muhammad pointed to Imavov’s current run, five straight wins over ranked opponents, including a knockout of former champion Israel Adesanya and a decision over Caio Borralho. From a merit standpoint, many fans thought that should have been enough to lock in a title fight.
Belal says Imavov earned it, Strickland sold it
Muhammad didn’t dance around it when he explained how he sees the booking.
“Sucks for Imavov. You’ve got to feel for him. I thought he earned the title shot. I thought that he was going to get the title shot, but I think the trash talk, and the stupidity, and the era we live in now, where Strickland talks his way into a title shot.”
He followed that with another line that will sound familiar to any hardcore who has watched matchmaking debates explode online after every card.
“You’ve got to be loud. I think we just saw with Imavov that wins aren’t enough. It’s going to be the loudest one in the room that’s going to get the squeaky wheel gets the oil.”
Watch the full interview below:
That’s the tension in modern UFC matchmaking. One side wants the clean merit ladder. The other side wants the bigger money fight with built-in drama. Strickland brings chaos, headlines, and a fan base that shows up for the buildup.
He’s not hiding his pick: Belal expects Chimaev to dominate
Muhammad also made it clear this is personal entertainment for him. He has had public friction with Strickland for a while, and he sounds ready to enjoy every second if Chimaev turns this into a mauling.
“The thing I’m excited for is to see Chimaev smash him and walk through him. I think he’s going to be able to take him down, control him, and I’m hoping cut him open a little bit, let him bleed a little bit, and then break him mentally, and tap him out.”
From a style matchup angle, Muhammad’s prediction is simple: if Chimaev gets early takedowns and top control, Strickland’s jab-and-volume rhythm may never settle in. If Strickland keeps it standing, it becomes a very different fight and potentially a gritty five-round war.
Either way, this booking puts the middleweight division under a spotlight. If Strickland wins, the noise-first formula gets even louder. If Chimaev dominates, the line behind him gets messy fast, and Imavov’s name comes right back to the front of the conversation.
