UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad has been forced to withdraw from his highly anticipated title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. The champion revealed the terrible reason behind his withdrawal on social media, leaving fans and pundits alike stunned by the unexpected development.

Muhammad, who won the heavyweight crown with a dominant performance against Leon Edwards earlier this year, was set to make his first title defense against the undefeated Rakhmonov on December 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, fate had other plans for the champion, who announced that he had a serious bone infection in his foot.

The seriousness of Mohammed’s condition was revealed when he shared sensational images of his infected foot on social media. The champion explained that he had to have a PICC line inserted into his arm for intravenous antibiotics; It’s a treatment that will keep him sidelined with no physical activity allowed for at least six weeks.

“I contracted a bone infection in my foot…had to have a PICC line put in my arm for IV antibiotics with no physical activity for the next 6 weeks,” Muhammad wrote, apologizing to his fans and expressing his determination to return to action as soon as possible.

I got a bone infection in my foot.. I had to wear a picnic rope around my arm to get intravenous antibiotics with no physical activity for the next 6 weeks… Allah’s plan is the best plan I apologize to everyone who came to see me I will be back soon Insha Allah pic.twitter.com/xbXj2B8Szy

— Belal Muhammed (@bullyb170) 31 October 2024

News of Muhammad’s withdrawal sent shockwaves through the MMA community and left the UFC scrambling to save the main event of the final pay-per-view card of the year. As of now, the promotion has not announced whether Rakhmonov will remain on the card to face a new opponent or if another match will be upgraded to main event status.

Following this development, Rakhmonov called for an interim title fight to maintain his momentum and maintain his claim in the heavyweight division. The undefeated Kazakh fighter has an impressive 18-0 record, with all of his victories coming via finish, making him one of the most feared contenders in the 170-pound weight class.

I wish Belal a speedy recovery. We’ll meet when he’s back 100%. For now, I’m ready to face any challenger for the interim title. #UFC310

— Shavkat “Nomad” Rakhmonov (@Rakhmonov1994) 31 October 2024

The UFC 310 card, which is shaping up to be a stacked event to close out the year, now faces a significant challenge. The co-main event, featuring the flyweight title bout between Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura, remains intact and could potentially be upgraded to the main event slot. Other notable fights on the card include Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling and Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov.

While the MMA world awaits updates from the UFC regarding the fate of UFC 310’s main event, speculation is mounting that other candidates could replace Muhammad. The likes of Ian Garry and Jack Della Maddalena have emerged as possible opponents for Rakhmonov, while some have even suggested the return of former champions Kamaru Usman or Leon Edwards.

It’s a reminder of the unpredictable nature of combat sports, where injuries and unforeseen circumstances can derail even the most anticipated matchups. As fans and fighters alike adjust to this new reality, all eyes will be on the UFC to see how they will handle this challenging situation and deliver a compelling main event for their year-end spectacular.