Shavkat Rakhmonov ‘a great code to crack’ for Belal Muhammad

Mike Valle is worked up for the problem of serving to Belal Muhammad hand Shavkat Rakhmonov his first loss.

Welterweight champion Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) makes his first title protection towards Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) within the UFC 310 headliner on Dec. 7 at T-Cell Area in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

Valle is aware of what it’s like to educate underdogs to a world title, the place he’s just lately been within the nook for Muhammad’s title win over Leon Edwards at UFC 304, then Julianna Peña’s title win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307.

“It’s an incredible problem,” Valle instructed MMA Junkie. “It’s an incredible code to crack. I can’t anticipate it. There’s all this hype behind him and he’s an incredible man. He’s an incredible fighter, too. Belal is unreal, too. He’s the most effective on the planet at combating.

“And he’s the most effective on the planet at going again, going sideways, placing stress, not going to the bottom. So it doesn’t matter the place the struggle could happen. He’s prepared to go ahead, return, go to the aspect, struggle on high, struggle behind. It actually doesn’t scare us. No matter it’s, let’s go.”

It’s been a protracted street for Muhammad, who needed to go on a 10-fight unbeaten streak to lastly earn his title shot. Valle says he knew from the beginning that Muhammad had championship potential.

“It’s been a journey with him, and each time I noticed Belal stroll in for the primary time in my health club, I instructed him, ‘Dude, you’re going to be a world champion,’” Valle stated. “I imply that. That was the primary time I noticed him there: ‘You’re going to be a world champion’ as a result of I noticed one thing in his eyes and his work ethic. … He’s nonstop. It’s been a journey for him. He’s labored arduous for that journey, and I’m so happy with him.”

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