LAS VEGAS – Belal Muhammad will be looking forward to the co-main event of UFC 310.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) was scheduled to defend his welterweight title in Saturday’s main event against Shavkat Rakhmonov, but was forced out due to a bone infection in his foot. Instead, Rakhmonov will face Ian Machado Garry in a five-round bout at T-Mobile Arena (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, Hulu, ESPN+).

Even though Machado Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is a huge underdog, Muhammad picks him to upset Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

“Honestly, I think it’s going to be Ian,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie on the red carpet. “He is very smart in the way he fights and he has a good IQ on how to get a win. We’ve seen him rock before, but he keeps adapting his style. I think he’s had more difficult matches in the UFC and has shown different game plans in all of his matches and I think he can persevere and work his way to victory.”

However, Mohammed would prefer Rakhmonov to win. While he sees Machado being better at selling a fight to Garry, he likes the feeling of invincibility that Rakhmonov brings with his 100 percent finish rate.

“Shavkat has more of that aura about him,” Muhammad said. “I think people overestimate him. They put him on this big pedestal. I think a lot of people underestimate Ian. They don’t think he’s really as good as his record shows, but for me neither is the case. It doesn’t matter because I’ll take someone’s 0. I’m just starting training, so definitely before the summer because I want to have at least two or three fights next year.”

For more information on the card, check out MMA Junkie’s UFC 310 event hub.