POTENTIAL MATCHUPS TMZSports.com
Belal Muhammad says he's back in the gym and gunning to make a mid-2025 return to the Octagon ... but he's not looking to share the Octagon with training partner Islam Makhachev.
TMZ Sports talked to the UFC welterweight champ ... several weeks after 36-year-old Muhammad was forced to pull out of his title defense fight with number one contender Shavkat Rakhmonov.
"I think for sure, May, June, right after Ramadan is where I'm aiming for. And, definitely before summertime, that would work perfectly for me, where I could get in three fights this year, that's my goal, to stay active," Belal told us of his plans.