UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad recently talked about a planned wrestling match with Dillon Danis that ultimately never materialized, revealing that Danis backed out of a scheduled April 18 appearance under the RAF banner after requesting an unusually long preparation period.
In his recent YouTube video, Muhammad teased the potential matchup to his followers. “I posted something recently that RAF was cooking up something spicy,” he said, hinting at a surprise opponent.
He then confirmed that Danis was the opponent lined up to face him. “It was Danis,” Muhammad said. “They were trying to set me up with him.”
According to Muhammad, the bout already had a firm date attached, but negotiations stalled when Danis insisted on having a full training camp before stepping onto the mat.
Muhammad explained. “He said he needs a 15-week camp for the match. So we were supposed to do it April 18.”
From Muhammad’s perspective, the matchup was never intended to be a high-stakes contest. Instead, he viewed it as a light competitive outing ahead of his next UFC title defense.
“It would have been a good, nice little tune-up for me to slam him on his head before my match,” he said.
With Danis unwilling to compete without the lengthy preparation window he requested, the April booking fell apart. Still, Muhammad suggested the door remains open for the matchup to happen at a later date if terms can be agreed upon.
“We’re going to wait,” he said. “So we’ll see if he ends up accepting it later on.”
Despite the cancellation, Muhammad made a point to acknowledge the promotion that had been working to organize the event, offering praise for its continued activity in the grappling scene.
“Shout out to RAF, still putting on good shows,” he said. “Shows like every month. Fun stuff coming from them.”
