Tag: belal muhammad

Top 10 Welterweight Says Belal Muhammad’s Mindset, Preparation Key To Beating Rakhmonov

Belal Muhammad is set to return at UFC 310 where he will put his welterweight title on the line for the first time against Shavkat Rakhmonov. The undefeated contender comes into December 7 as the favorite despite the champion’s own impressive winning streak. Rakhmonov’s ability to finish opponents is simply remarkable, with all 18 of […]

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Belal Muhammad is set to return at UFC 310 where he will put his welterweight title on the line for the first time against Shavkat Rakhmonov. The undefeated contender comes into December 7 as the favorite despite the champion’s own impressive winning streak.

Rakhmonov’s ability to finish opponents is simply remarkable, with all 18 of his pro wins coming inside the distance. This, in a lot of people’s eyes, makes it an uphill battle for Muhammad who is not known for closing the show early.

Where the champion excels in his approach and relentless drive to break opponents with his constant pressure and gas tank. His preparation and strategy is where a top welterweight contender believes this fight becomes competitive.

Joaquin Buckley Says That Belal Muhammad’s Approach Is What Makes Him Competitive With Shavkat Rakhmonov

In a recent interview with Luke Thomas, Joaquin Buckley gave his thoughts on the upcoming title fight in his division. The #9-ranked welterweight contender is coming off of a devastating finish over Stephen Thompson and could find himself in title talks with one more big win.

Buckley said in his opinion, this fight is interesting because you know that Muhammad is going to come into Las Vegas with extensive homework and adjustments. “New Mansa” believes that this is at odds with the confidence of Rakhmonov who is not going to have the same approach of analyzing every detail.

Muhammad’s ability to adapt to different opponents and choose the best path to victory is where Buckley feels that the champion has an advantage.

“I think it’s a good fight and it’s only going to be a good fight because the way that Belal comes. Every time when he sets himself to fight an opponent, he prepares himself in the right way. Shavkat, I believe that he’s just the type of fighter that he believes just his talents and his gifts is going to take him as far as it’s been taking him now where he’s been finishing everybody.

I don’t believe that Shavkat, in my personal opinion, is doing any film study on Belal or how he gonna beat him. Shavkat believes just in his head that him stepping in the cage with Belal is going to be good enough but I don’t think it’s going to be the other way around with Belal.

I believe Belal is going to try to see what is going to be his best opportunities to take the fight where he needs to in order to get the decision.”

Continue Reading Top 10 Welterweight Says Belal Muhammad’s Mindset, Preparation Key To Beating Rakhmonov at MMA News.

Ilia Topuria Gets Personal During Online Spat With Fellow UFC Champ Belal Muhammad

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria has plenty of foes in MMA’s leading promotion, and it appears another titleholder in Belal Muhammad just joined the list. Topuria completed his ascent to the mountaintop at 145 pounds this past March, knocking out all-time great Alexander Volkanovski to extend his perfect promotional and professional records in violent fashion. […]

Continue Reading Ilia Topuria Gets Personal During Online Spat With Fellow UFC Champ Belal Muhammad at MMA News.

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria has plenty of foes in MMA’s leading promotion, and it appears another titleholder in Belal Muhammad just joined the list.

Topuria completed his ascent to the mountaintop at 145 pounds this past March, knocking out all-time great Alexander Volkanovski to extend his perfect promotional and professional records in violent fashion.

The Georgian-Spaniard marked the third new divisional champion of the year, and the fourth came five months later when Muhammad unseated Leon Edwards from the welterweight throne in Manchester, England.

But while they both joined the champs’ club in 2024, the two haven’t exactly been bonding over their newfound title glory…

Topuria Mocks Muhammad After ‘Fake BMF Belt’ Jibe

A video recently surfaced on social media showing Topuria backing Shavkat Rakhmonov to defeat Muhammad. The pair were recently confirmed as the headliners for the UFC 310 pay-per-view in Las Vegas this December.

“Remember the Name” didn’t take too kindly to the prediction, mocking his featherweight counterpart for purchasing his own BMF belt ahead of his showdown with the symbolic title’s current owner, Max Holloway, at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi later this month.

That caused a back and forth between the pair, with “El Matador” taking aim at Muhammad’s UFC record and personal life alongside a video of him in the aftermath of an eye poke against Edwards back in 2021.

“NO FINISHES NO KNOCKOUTS NO KNOCKDOWNS NO GIRLFRIEND NO KIDS BELAL HAS NEVER FINISHED ANY MAN OR WOMAN”

Muhammad hit back by accusing Topuria of copying well-known “memes” instead of coming up with his own retorts.

“Now ur just copying stuff word for word off memes,” Muhammad responded.

While his heated exchanges with Holloway will soon be settled inside the Octagon — and disagreements with the likes of Sean O’Malley could be down the line — the gulf in weight between Topuria and Muhammad means this battle will likely remain in the internet realm.

Continue Reading Ilia Topuria Gets Personal During Online Spat With Fellow UFC Champ Belal Muhammad at MMA News.

Robert Whittaker Feels The Real Leon Edwards Didn’t Show Up Against Belal Muhammad: ‘I Am Wondering Why Leon Had No Answer…’

Robert Whittaker recently said that he believes Leon Edwards did not perform to the best of his abilities in his rematch against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304. “Rocky” relinquished his welterweight championship to Muhammad in his third title defense this Saturday at the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester, England. This was the second showdown between […]

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker Feels The Real Leon Edwards Didn’t Show Up Against Belal Muhammad: ‘I Am Wondering Why Leon Had No Answer…’ at MMA News.

Robert Whittaker recently said that he believes Leon Edwards did not perform to the best of his abilities in his rematch against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304.

“Rocky” relinquished his welterweight championship to Muhammad in his third title defense this Saturday at the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester, England. This was the second showdown between the two fighters, with their first encounter ending in a no-contest after an eye-poke rendered Muhammad unable to continue past the second round.

Muhammad came out strong in the first round, quickly securing a takedown that highlighted his wrestling dominance. His seamless combination of takedowns and boxing set the tone for the fight. In the second round, he intensified his assault, dropping the defending champion on his head and taking control by securing his back.

Edwards managed a comeback in the fourth round with aggressive striking, but the challenger quickly closed the distance, taking him down and maintaining a dominant position for most of the round. In a dramatic final push, Edwards reversed the position and unleashed a barrage of elbows, splitting Muhammad open.

Despite this late effort, it wasn’t enough to retain his belt, as the judges scored the fight 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 in favor of “Remember the Name”, crowning him the new UFC welterweight champion.

This setback cost the Jamaican-born Englishman not only his title but also ended his impressive 13-fight unbeaten streak in the Octagon. “The Reaper” believes Edwards didn’t meet the high standards he has set for himself…

Whittaker Believes Edwards Wasn’t At His Best Against Muhammad

During a recent episode of the MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker analyzed the rematch between Edwards and Muhammad at UFC 304. The UFC middleweight champion conveyed his surprise at “Rocky’s” uncharacteristic struggle in the bout, noting that his performance starkly contrasted with his last two impressive showings against Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington.

“I was surprised, not surprised like that Muhammad surprised me,” Whittaker said. “Yeah, no, you know what, I was surprised. I was surprised because Leon’s last two showings against Usman and Colby looked vastly different to the Leon that turned up against Muhammad. Now, what does that mean? Because I don’t want to take away from Belal just turning up and honestly dominating Leon Edwards. Like, he belted him in the stand-up. He put that constant pressure, was punching him up.”

Whittaker went on to say that Muhammad’s performance may have caught Edwards off guard, as he possibly underestimated how formidable his opponent would be.

“I am wondering why Leon had no answer for it because we saw him go up against the likes of Usman, we saw him go up against the likes of Colby, and both guys couldn’t do that. Was it because Belal is a much bigger welterweight? He looked strong in that. I don’t want to take away because it was such a good showing from Belal, but it was such a—like, did he shut down that hard that he made Leon look bad, or was it because Leon was off? He said he felt lethargic or whatever.”

In his post-fight Octagon interview, “Rocky” revealed that he struggled with fatigue in the days leading up to UFC 304, as he attempted to acclimate to the unusual fight schedule in Manchester.

Edwards made it clear that he doesn’t plan to dwell on the loss. He is eager to return to the Octagon later this year, though his next opponent remains uncertain.

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker Feels The Real Leon Edwards Didn’t Show Up Against Belal Muhammad: ‘I Am Wondering Why Leon Had No Answer…’ at MMA News.

Belal Muhammad says Colby Covington “Doesn’t want to fight” despite multiple offers

Belal Muhammad vs Colby Covington‘Remember the Name’ Belal Muhammad just wants a fight in the octagon, but the top-ranked welterweight is struggling to find an opponent. Former title contender Colby Covington has been offered this match and declined on multiple occasions. Belal Muhammad spoke in an interview with Helen Yee Sports, and explained: “I’m in a rough spot right […]

Belal Muhammad vs Colby Covington

‘Remember the Name’ Belal Muhammad just wants a fight in the octagon, but the top-ranked welterweight is struggling to find an opponent. Former title contender Colby Covington has been offered this match and declined on multiple occasions.

Belal Muhammad spoke in an interview with Helen Yee Sports, and explained:

“I’m in a rough spot right now … the only guys above me are Khamzat [Chimaev] who’s moving up to middleweight, and then Colby who doesn’t want to fight. So when I’m looking at it, there’s nobody else in line for the title but me … All they [the UFC] presented was Colby. They said Colby was down, then the next week they said Colby wasn’t down. And then they said he was down again. Then they said they can’t find him again, so I don’t know what’s happening with him.” [Transcript courtesy of MMA News]

See the full interview below:

Belal Muhammad vs Colby Covington?

It would be a battle of top-five ranked welterweights if Belal Muhammad and Colby Covington were to meet in the UFC. Neither fighter has an upcoming fight booked and ‘Remember the Name’ is getting tired of waiting.

Since 2020, Muhammad has gone 6-0 in the UFC with 1 No Contest against the now-champion Leon Edwards. He has notable wins over Sean Brady, Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson, and Demian Maia. He is on track for a shot at the throne but is stuck waiting.

Chaos’ Colby Covington, former interim champion, has been quiet since his last win over Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal assaulted Covington after the fight outside of a restaurant and now the two MMA fighters are engaged in a battle of litigation.

Belal Muhammad Questions If Leon Edwards Has The ‘Mentality’ To Earn Another Title Shot

UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad doesn’t know if recent opponent Leon Edwards has what it takes to earn a chance at redemption. Muhammad unseated Edwards from the 170-pound throne in the summer, heading across the pond to enemy territory to challenge the Brit at UFC 304 inside the Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Against the […]

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Questions If Leon Edwards Has The ‘Mentality’ To Earn Another Title Shot at MMA News.

UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad doesn’t know if recent opponent Leon Edwards has what it takes to earn a chance at redemption.

Muhammad unseated Edwards from the 170-pound throne in the summer, heading across the pond to enemy territory to challenge the Brit at UFC 304 inside the Co-op Live in Manchester, England.

Against the odds and predictions of many, “Remember the Name” put on a dominant display to upset Edwards and his home crowd, sweeping the scorecards to extend his unbeaten run to 11 and make good on his pre-fight confidence.

In the aftermath of the result, Edwards apologized to his fans and vowed to rise back to the top, even promising to “get this back in blood.”

Muhammad, however, seems to have his doubts…

Muhammad: Edwards Must Figure Out If He Still Has ‘The Hunger’ To Compete

During an interview with MMA Fighting, Muhammad looked back on his triumph over Edwards and assessed whether or not the Englishman can rebound en route to a trilogy fight.

“Remember the Name” has little doubt when it comes to his rival’s ability, which he sees as good enough to get him back into the championship conversation. But having long questioned “Rocky’s” mentality, Muhammad thinks that could pose a stumbling block.

“Skill wise, he has the skill to do it but it’s all about mentality,” Muhammad said. “Because you’ve seen it a lot with undefeated guys, when they get that one loss, a lot of guys don’t know how to take a loss. He hasn’t lost in eight years and he had this long streak. So it comes now from how does he come back from it mentally?

“Physically, yeah he has all the attributes, the skills to do it, and when you’re looking at the lineup now, I beat a lot of these guys in the top 10 already. So there’s not a lot of guys you’re looking at (like), ‘This guy is the clear No. 1 contender.’ So Leon could go out there and get one win and if it’s a huge win, there’s a possibility that he could get his name back in the mix,” Muhammad continued. “Now he has to figure out what he wants to do with his life. If he still wants to chase it with that hunger inside him.”

It remains to be seen what lies in the immediate future for both Muhammad and Edwards, but it would appear to be slightly clearer for the former.

Since his crowning this past July, the new champ has gone back and forth with both Shavkat Rakhmonov and Kamaru Usman regarding his first title defense, which Muhammad’s manager has pointed to as likely for UFC 310 in December.

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Questions If Leon Edwards Has The ‘Mentality’ To Earn Another Title Shot at MMA News.

Jon Anik’s Verdict On UFC 306 Main Event: ‘Guys Like Merab Dvalishvili & Belal Muhammad…’

The sport of MMA moves so fast that even after a major event like UFC 306, there is very little time before everyone has moved on to the next major talking point. Merab Dvalishvili winning the UFC bantamweight title in the main event of the promotion’s second annual Noche UFC already feels like it happened […]

Continue Reading Jon Anik’s Verdict On UFC 306 Main Event: ‘Guys Like Merab Dvalishvili & Belal Muhammad…’ at MMA News.

The sport of MMA moves so fast that even after a major event like UFC 306, there is very little time before everyone has moved on to the next major talking point.

Merab Dvalishvili winning the UFC bantamweight title in the main event of the promotion’s second annual Noche UFC already feels like it happened months ago.

His performance against Sean O’Malley inside the Sphere answered some very intriguing questions that fans had going into the fight.

Not only was Dvalishvili able to dominate the fight with his grappling when he did close the distance, he was able to avoid taking significant damage for the majority of the duration.

Jon Anik Says Fighters Like Merab Dvalishvili & Belal Muhammad Don’t Get Enough Credit

In a recent interview with James Lynch for Middle Easy, UFC commentator Jon Anik gave his thoughts on Dvalishvili’s performance.

He looked to really emphasize how it wasn’t just the grappling of the challenger at UFC 306 that was impressive, it was his overall game.

Dvalishvili was constantly moving and giving O’Malley something new to think about and thanks to his unrelenting gas tank, that continued across all five rounds.

Anik also made reference to Belal Muhammad’s title win at UFC 304 where of course, the biggest takeaway was his grappling success, but that didn’t tell the whole story of the fight where his striking was also very effective.

“A lot of people might have fancied Umar (Nurmagomedov) against either guy and maybe now they’re not so sure just given how dominant Merab was and guys like Merab Dvalishvili and Belal Muhammad are never going to get credit for what they do as strikers. If they have a nice jab or a nice point of entry but man, the total package of Merab, like the dude needs to be tested for science right? And yeah, I’m saying that for comedic value but what is inside of there?”

Read also: UFC Commentator Highlights Julianna Peña’s Key Quality That Will Serve Her Well At UFC 307

Continue Reading Jon Anik’s Verdict On UFC 306 Main Event: ‘Guys Like Merab Dvalishvili & Belal Muhammad…’ at MMA News.