Belal Muhammad isn't ready to let bygones be bygones when it comes to Sean Strickland's controversial remarks about Islam—and he's making it crystal clear that a simple apology won't cut it.

After Strickland dethroned Khamzat Chimaev in a razor-close split decision at UFC 328 to claim the middleweight title, the newly crowned champion offered a public apology for his past derogatory comments about Muslims. Chimaev, ever the sportsman, accepted the gesture and shared a moment of reconciliation inside the octagon. But Muhammad, the former welterweight champion, isn't buying what Strickland is selling.

"Even though the clown apologized, 'I apologized to my Muslim fans, I was just promoting a fight,'" Muhammad said on his YouTube channel. "No, it's not promoting a fight when you're talking about religion. He always plays that role of saying stupid stuff and then afterward, 'I love this guy. This guy's the best,' blah blah, blah. When you talk about religion, you talk about family, that hits different. I hope to one day step in the cage with that clown before it's all said and done and just make him bleed."

The tension doesn't stop at the verbal sparring. Muhammad also weighed in on the main event, offering his take on the controversial decision that crowned Strickland champion. While the result is still being hotly debated, Muhammad believes the judges may have been swayed by expectations rather than reality.

"I still thought he won the fight 3-2 if I'm being honest," Muhammad said of Chimaev. "I thought he was landing harder shots on the feet. Strickland was landing a lot of jabs. He defended a couple of takedowns. But damage wise, he did break Strickland's nose, but Khamzat was a little beat up himself. He did have a swollen face, lips. I think it also comes down to the judges assuming that Khamzat could only win by taking him down."

Muhammad pointed out that when a fighter's game plan doesn't match pre-fight expectations, it can unfairly tilt the scales. He drew parallels to the first Islam Makhachev–Alexander Volkanovski fight, where Makhachev was penalized in the eyes of judges for not securing takedowns—even though he was landing effectively on the feet. "All that stuff plays a factor into judging a fight," Muhammad added. "They expected Khamzat to go in there and dominate."

For Muhammad, this isn't just about fight analysis—it's personal. And with a potential showdown in the works, fans might just see this rivalry go from words to fists inside the cage. In the world of combat sports, some grudges are worth settling the old-fashioned way.