Belal Muhammad predicts Chimaev vs Costa for vacant light heavyweight title

Belal Muhammad believes that if Khamzat Chimaev defeats Sean Strickland, he will receive a light heavyweight title fight against Paulo Costa. Muhammad specifically used the term "vacant" rather than "interim" when describing the potential championship bout. The welterweight champion may have misspoken, or he could be suggesting that if Carlos Ulberg is sidelined long-term, the belt would become vacant again. This prediction represents a significant jump in weight class for Chimaev, who has competed primarily at middleweight and welterweight. The scenario would depend on both Chimaev's victory over Strickland and the championship situation at 205 pounds.