Belal Muhammad has apparently decided that getting punched by Carlos Prates sounds like a good time.

Seriously.

The former UFC welterweight champion recently said he wants Prates next because he wants to find out just how hard the Brazilian actually hits. Muhammad even went as far as saying he thinks he has a good chin.

That's certainly one way to respond to a three-fight losing streak.

“I literally want to fight Prates just to feel it,” Muhammad said during an appearance on BedtimeMMA.

And honestly, I kind of get it.

Prates has become one of the most dangerous strikers at 170 pounds. He stopped former champion Jack Della Maddalena in May and has quickly turned himself into one of the biggest problems in the division. He's also currently sitting near the very top of the UFC welterweight rankings.

Muhammad, meanwhile, is in a completely different spot.

He hasn't won since beating Leon Edwards to become UFC champion in 2024. Since then, he's lost three straight fights to Jack Della Maddalena, Ian Machado Garry and Gabriel Bonfim. Bonfim's unanimous decision win over Muhammad in June was particularly rough, with all three judges scoring the fight 50-45.

So why Prates?

On paper, it makes almost zero sense.

Muhammad needs a win. Prates is a nightmare matchup (no pun intended) and is already sitting in the title conversation. If Muhammad loses again, he's looking at four straight losses and a very different place in the UFC welterweight pecking order.

But maybe that's exactly why Muhammad wants it. There isn't much mystery surrounding Prates. The guy hits hard. Really hard.

Muhammad seems genuinely interested in finding out if Prates can hurt him.

“I think I have a good chin,” Muhammad said. “I want to get in there, I want to feel what is bothering these guys.”

That's a pretty wild thing to say when you're coming off the worst stretch of your career.

But there's also something interesting about the matchup itself.

Muhammad isn't going to try to stand and trade with Prates for 25 minutes. At his best, Belal is going to make this an ugly fight, mix in wrestling and force Prates to work. That's probably the biggest reason this fight is more interesting than it looks on paper.

Prates wants space. Muhammad wants to take it away. The problem is that Muhammad has to actually get close enough to do that. And if he gets caught?

Well, we've already seen what Prates does when he lands clean.

Maybe Belal sees this as his chance to remind everyone why he became champion in the first place.

Or maybe he's just a little too curious about how hard Carlos Prates punches. Either way, I wouldn't hate it.

If Belal really wants Prates, let him find out.