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Belal Muhammad Targeting ‘Alex Pereira Schedule’ In 2025: ‘I Love To Fight’

UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad wants to be active — just as much as record-breaker Alex Pereira. Muhammad has fought once in the past 17 months, but that inactivity is not down to his doing. After defeating Gilbert Burns on short notice in May 2023, “Remember the Name” banked his long-awaited first title shot on […]

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UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad wants to be active — just as much as record-breaker Alex Pereira.

Muhammad has fought once in the past 17 months, but that inactivity is not down to his doing. After defeating Gilbert Burns on short notice in May 2023, “Remember the Name” banked his long-awaited first title shot on MMA’s biggest stage.

Unfortunately for him, he had to wait for then-champion Leon Edwards to settle his business with Colby Covington before cashing in on his opportunity at UFC 304 in Manchester, England this past July.

Despite a lengthy break from competition, Muhammad looked at his best inside the Co-op Live, dominating Edwards across five rounds to extend his unbeaten run to 11 and capture the 170-pound crown.

The new kingpin will now return five months later to put his gold on the line for the first time at UFC 310 this December, headlining the pay-per-view event opposite the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Muhammad outlined his plans for the new year should he get past the threat posed by “Nomad” during a recent interview with John Morgan for Grind City Media.

While he’ll make the walk on Dec. 7 as the underdog, “Remember the Name” is no stranger to upsetting the odds. And he fully expects to do so once again before embarking on an Alex Pereira-esque campaign in 2025.

“I love to fight. It’s so hard to stay healthy in this game that if if I’m healthy, I wanna be in the cage,” Muhammad said. “People are like, ‘Oh, we thought you were gonna wait a year to defend and you’re gonna push it longer because it took you this long to get in.’ Sitting on the couch doesn’t get you paid, sitting on the couch doesn’t make me happy. I wanna get happy by competing. I love to compete and it’s such a small window in this game where you don’t know what tomorrow is gonna hold that I’d rather stay busy.

“The hardest thing for me was that wait (after beating Gilbert Burns),” Muhammad continued. “I wanted to get into the cage. I wanted to fight. And then for 2025, I’m trying to get on that Alex Pereira schedule. … Next year, for myself, is just (about) staying busy.”

After winning the light heavyweight title in late 2023, Pereira has gone on to rack up three straight defenses this year in record-breaking speed. His victims were Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 in April, Ji?í Procházka at UFC 303 in June, and Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 earlier this month.

Before looking to potentially replicate that feat next year, Muhammad must first vault his reign’s first hurdle by getting the better of Rakhmonov at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

Read More: Belal Muhammad Claims Competitive Edge Over Shavkat Rakhmonov

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Sean Strickland Expects Israel Adesanya To Beat Alex Pereira At UFC 287 By Fighting Like A “Fuing Bih”

UFC middleweight contender Sean Strickland has provided a colorful prediction for Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira’s upcoming championship rematch. 2022 was a year full of memorable comebacks and crownings. And following in the footsteps of Ji?í Procházka in June and Leon Edwards in August, Pereira successfully clutched victory from the jaws of defeat last November…

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Israel Adesanya admits he required medical treatment after KO loss to Alex Pereira: ‘I had some intervention’

Former undisputed UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya has revealed he required medical treatment and intervention following his stunning TKO loss Alex Pereira last November at UFC 281, detailing how he was also dealing with a pre-existing injury ahead of the matchup. Adesanya, the current #1 ranked middleweight contender, is slated to rematch Pereira in an […]

Adesanya, the current #1 ranked middleweight contender, is slated to rematch Pereira in an immediate championship re-run next month in Miami, Florida atop a UFC 287 pay-per-view card, attempting to reclaim his crown at 185lbs.

Headlining UFC 281 in the penultimate flagship event for the promotion last year, Adesanya suffered a late fifth round TKO loss in a rallying performance from Sau Paulo striker, Pereira – who managed to cinch undisputed UFC gold inside just four Octagon walks.

The loss came as Adesanya’s first at the middleweight limit in professional mixed martial arts, however, it followed decision and knockout losses to former GLORY Kickboxing champion, Pereira during their respective tenures in the squared circle.

Revealing he required some medical intervention following his TKO loss to Pereira back in November, Adesanya also praised the Brazilian for implementing calf kicks throughout their Madison Square Garden main event.

Israel Adesanya praises Alex Pereira’s gameplan ahead of UFC 287

“I had some medical intervention [following UFC 281],” Israel Adesanya explained during an interview with Combat TV. “Not just the fight itself, but I had a pre-existing thing that I had to sort out before the fight. Everyone goes into a fight with something, there’s always something, [because of] the way we train.”

“The fight was going my way,” Israel Adesanya said. “He (Alex Pereira) hit my peroneal nerve so that’s why my footwork was compromised. ‘Cause I was wondering even when I tripped and did the backwards roll, I had to do a roly-poly, ‘cause I was like, ‘Sh*t.’ I just tripped over and it’s not like me. So, kudos to hi for investing in those calf kicks. Yeah, it cost me.”

Prior to his title loss to Pereira, Adesanya had racked up successful middleweight title defenses against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker, and Jared Cannonier.

Andre Muniz thinks Alex Pereira’s rematch with Israel Adesanya will be his last fight at 185lbs

UFC middleweight Andre Muniz thinks Alex Pereira’s reign as 185lb champion won’t last too much longer. Pereira capped off an incredible first-12 months with the UFC, knocking out Israel Adesanya in the fifth round of their fight to claim the middleweight title. The pair will rematch in the main event of UFC 287 on April […]

UFC middleweight Andre Muniz thinks Alex Pereira’s reign as 185lb champion won’t last too much longer.

Pereira capped off an incredible first-12 months with the UFC, knocking out Israel Adesanya in the fifth round of their fight to claim the middleweight title. The pair will rematch in the main event of UFC 287 on April 8 in Miami, Florida

Pereira’s compatriot, Andre Muniz, thinks regardless of the result, ‘Poatan’s time as 185lb champion will be over. Pereira walks around well over the 185lb limit and looks to stand at around 6’5, Muniz feels that the weight cut will become too much and he will eventually have to venture to 205lbs.

“We see his social media and he’s always around 220 pounds, so it’s hard to make championship weight at 185. Maybe that’s why he won’t have a long reign in this division,” said Muniz.

I believe he will defend this title [against Adesanya] and, with a win, he moves up a division. I don’t think he’ll have as many title defenses for so long, especially to preserve his body and have a longer career. It takes a toll on the body and sooner or later he will pay the price with his performance.”

Muniz declared reigning light-heavyweight champion Jamhal Hill as an ideal next opponent for Pereira. Hill is fresh off an impressive performance against Glover Teixeira, a close friend and training partner of Pereira.

I would like to see Poatan moving up and fighting Jamahal,” Muniz said. “I think every Brazilian would watch to see that. That vengeance thing in the air, especially since Poatan trains with Glover. But this fight has to happen for the division.” (H/T MMAFighting)

Andre Muniz fights at UFC Vegas 70

Muniz will take on fellow contender, Brendan Allen in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 70 and will aim to add to his nine-fight win streak.

Do you agree with Andre Muniz right?

Bisping Sees UFC Championship Potential in Artem Vakhitov

Artem Vakhitov wouldn’t be signed to the UFC right now if it wasn’t for the light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira. The former GLORY kickboxer, who was the last man to beat “Poatan” in the sport, earned a contract on this week’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series. Let alone getting this opportunity if it wasn’t […]

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Let alone getting this opportunity if it wasn’t for the history that he has with Pereira, the champion himself convinced Dana White to give his former foe a contract after the UFC boss wasn’t overly impressed by his performance at the Apex.

Vakhitov is still very early on in his MMA career but of course, a third fight between them taking place in MMA would be a big deal but that’s still a long way in the distance right now.

Bisping on Artem Vakhitov’s Potential

Vakhitov is sure to get some special treatment once he arrives into the UFC, even if he just moves through the ranks a little faster than most.

The issue with that is that he’s not ready to compete against top contenders at light heavyweight however, a striking match between him and Pereira would suit him a lot better.

Former UFC champion Michael Bisping gave his reaction to how this all played out during a recent YouTube video.

“The Count” was on commentary for this episode and though he also wasn’t overwhelmed by what he saw from Vakhitov on his UFC job interview, he believes that Pereira’s former rival could make it to the top in the years to come. Acknowledging it’s going to be a long road to the top, Bisping sees the greatness.

“ I think he could do it, I think he’s got the potential. He’s got to work on the takedown defense. he’s got to get used to the little gloves. he’s got to get used to people with offbeat rhythms, because MMA strikers are a bit different to polished kickboxers but if he can do that.

if he can do the work and apply himself, I think he could have a very bright future and we could see that fight at some point down the line.”

– Michael Bisping on Vakhitov’s potential

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Jamahal Hill Finally Explains Yawning After Alex Pereira Beat Khalil Rountree

UFC 307 was yet another card saved by Alex Pereira as he put on a memorable performance against Khalil Rountree, an opponent who unexpectedly gave him a tough fight. The challenger landed several clean shots in the first two rounds, keeping fans worldwide at the edge of their seats. However, Pereira eventually altered his game […]

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UFC 307 was yet another card saved by Alex Pereira as he put on a memorable performance against Khalil Rountree, an opponent who unexpectedly gave him a tough fight.

The challenger landed several clean shots in the first two rounds, keeping fans worldwide at the edge of their seats. However, Pereira eventually altered his game plan and unleashed his gas tank in the third to sway the momentum and win via TKO in the fourth.

The UFC 307 main event was anything but boring, which explains why fans weren’t happy with Jamahal Hill yawning in the audience. The former UFC light heavyweight champion has finally opened up on his true intentions behind the reaction…

Jamahal Hill Calls Out ‘Disrespectful’ MMA Fans For Misunderstanding His Reaction To Alex Pereira Knocking Out Khalil Rountree At UFC 307

Hill recently broke down all UFC 307 fights on his YouTube channel. Before diving deep into the main event, he claimed his yawning reaction was misunderstood by the media.

“Sweet Dreams” gave Rountree his props for giving the UFC light heavyweight kingpin a run for his money in the first two rounds. The challenger performed much better than his expectations in every way. In contrast to what Hill had predicted, Rountree landed efficiently, had decent cardio, and showed exceptional durability.

“It’s crazy how y’all see a clip with no context, no nothing and y’all just be ready to talk s**t and just attack and come disrespectful as ever. And it’s like hilarious, all right. So, now, I wasn’t miked up, or anything like that, so I couldn’t explain the context of the yawn and things like that after the fight. I think I did hear a reporter told Alex, “Oh, Jamahal said the fight was boring.” I never said the fight was boring.”

Hill also clarified that he never claimed Pereira vs. Rountree to be a boring fight. Him yawning after the main event was a way to tell that he wasn’t surprised or impressed. To prove this, he even reflected on his UFC 307 predictions.

“Now, to the yawn, the yawn at the end was. Was it entertaining? Yes. Was I impressed? No. I was not impressed. You know, I’m ready to go. Did I see anything in the cage that scares me or that I didn’t expect to see? No. So, as far as reacting and everything, I don’t think I really need to do much of a reaction to this fight because, before, if you watch, or you watch my breakdowns, you can see I told you exactly how the fight was going to go.”

To be fair to Hill, he did mention Rountree’s inability to land counters against properly set-up shots, especially jabs. He also mentioned that the challenger would gas early as the height disadvantage would compel him to explode to hit “Poatan”. Both these predictions were indeed on point.

READ MORE: MMA Analyst Dismisses Ilia Topuria’s Champ-Champ Aspirations

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