**Kamaru Usman Open to Stepping Up for UFC 310 After Belal Muhammad Withdraws**

In a surprising twist for UFC fans, welterweight champion Belal Muhammad had to pull out of UFC 310 due to a foot infection he revealed last week. This unexpected withdrawal has left Muhammad's scheduled opponent, Shavkhat Rakhmonov, without a fight. Amidst the uncertainty, discussions have been swirling around the possibility of Rakhmonov facing former 170-pound champion Kamaru Usman for an interim belt at the December 7 pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

During Thursday's episode of the "Pound 4 Pound" podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman addressed the situation for the first time, expressing his readiness to step in on short notice. Though it's still unclear whether UFC matchmakers have officially approached him, Usman made his intentions known. "The UFC is gonna call who they think is gonna be legit tough enough and man enough to step in there, is crazy enough to step in there on short notice, and go out there and possibly shock the world," Usman remarked. "Definitely the UFC knows who to call when that situation happens. And if they do give me a call, I'm gonna answer the call, get a couple things straight, and if we've got to do it, we've got to do it. I don't shy away from any of that."

Usman boasts a record of 20-4 MMA and 15-3 UFC, and he's no stranger to high-pressure, short-notice fights. In July 2020, while still the champion, he took on Jorge Masvidal with just six days to prepare at UFC 251, ultimately winning by unanimous decision. More recently, in October 2023, Usman accepted a middleweight bout against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 on less than two weeks' notice, although he lost by majority decision.

At 37 years old, Usman finds himself on a challenging three-fight losing streak. His most recent defeat came at the hands of Chimaev in October 2023. Prior to that, he lost back-to-back title fights against Leon Edwards. The first loss was a fifth-round knockout at UFC 278, where Usman lost his title, followed by a majority decision defeat in their rematch at UFC 286.

As the December 7 event approaches, the UFC community eagerly waits to see if Usman will indeed be the one to step up and face Rakhmonov, potentially adding another thrilling chapter to his storied career.