Tag: belal muhammad

Muhammad Unwilling To Be Official Backup To Usman vs. Edwards

UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad isn’t interested in being an official backup for the upcoming title fight between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards, but he is open to fighting on the same card. In an interview with MMA Junkie where Muhammad also left Kamaru Usman off his welterweight Mount Rushmore, “Remember the Name” was asked…

Continue Reading Muhammad Unwilling To Be Official Backup To Usman vs. Edwards at MMA News.

UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad isn’t interested in being an official backup for the upcoming title fight between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards, but he is open to fighting on the same card.

In an interview with MMA Junkie where Muhammad also left Kamaru Usman off his welterweight Mount Rushmore, “Remember the Name” was asked if he’d be willing to weigh in as a backup for the planned welterweight title fight between Usman and Edwards.

Muhammad was quick to dismiss the idea of being a backup.

“I’d rather be on the card with them,” Muhammad said. “I don’t want to make weight just to make weight,” Muhammad said. If I’m on a card with them, I’d rather have that. I’ll be on the same card and then if one of them ends up pulling out, I’ll hop in that way.

“If you’re really thinking about it, if I do end up fighting [Khamzat] Chimaev or something, training for him would be the same as training for Usman,” Muhammad explained.

(Alex Behunin/Cageside Press)

Competing in the UFC since 2016 and currently on a three-fight win streak, the 33-year-old Muhammad understands the value of a chance at the title.

When asked if he thought that fighters who weigh-in as backups are mentally and physically prepared to fight, Muhammad provided the following response.

“For me, to get my first title shot and get a chance at it, I’d want it to be legit where I know for 8 weeks that’s all I’m focused on.”

Currently the UFC’s #5-ranked welterweight, Belal “Remember the Name” Muhammad earned a unanimous decision victory in his most recent fight against Vincente Luque last month.

In addition to it being Muhammad’s second UFC main event, the Chicago native also avenged his 2016 knockout loss to Luque. Muhammad is currently on a three-fight win streak after his 2021 bout with Leon Edwards was stopped due to an eye poke and declared a No Contest.

If Muhammad really does intend to fight on the same card as Usman vs. Edwards, he’ll have to wait until the fight has a confirmed date. There’s also the question of the opponent, as there are very few welterweights ranked above him following that win over Luque.

With Edwards set to challenge Usman for the title and Gilbert Burns coming off a loss to Khamzat Chimaev, Colby Covington and Chimaev appear to be the only matchups that make sense if Muhammad wants to keep climbing the welterweight rankings.

What do you think of Muhammad’s comments on the idea of weighing in as a backup fighter?

Continue Reading Muhammad Unwilling To Be Official Backup To Usman vs. Edwards at MMA News.

Belal Muhammad Leaves Usman Off His Welterweight Mount Rushmore

Belal Muhammad has left Kamaru Usman off of his welterweight Mount Rushmore list. GOAT debates are still as subjective as they have always been. Part of this is because there are often different criteria being weighed within the same discussion. Some may argue based on who they believe to be better from a skill-based perspective,…

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Leaves Usman Off His Welterweight Mount Rushmore at MMA News.

Belal Muhammad has left Kamaru Usman off of his welterweight Mount Rushmore list.

GOAT debates are still as subjective as they have always been. Part of this is because there are often different criteria being weighed within the same discussion.

Some may argue based on who they believe to be better from a skill-based perspective, while others primarily consider factors like résumé and the number of title defenses.

Whatever the criteria may be per person, the one absolute is that there will always be differences in opinion regarding who is the GOAT in whatever category is being discussed. However, sometimes there is some common ground found, especially if the parameters of the debate are broadened.

For instance, what if instead of one GOAT, you were provided four slots in a Mount Rushmore list? There are much more likely to be names that will absolutely pop up like Dominick Cruz at bantamweight, Daniel Cormier at light heavyweight, Anderson Silva at middleweight, etc., even if one doesn’t consider those fighters to be the GOATs in those divisions.

UFC news, rumors: Kamaru Usman responds to Colby Covington's PED accusations ahead of UFC 245 - CBSSports.com
Kamaru Usman, Copyright: 2019 Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

Perhaps the same could be said for Kamaru Usman. Although Georges St-Pierre is arguably the consensus greatest welterweight of all time, surely the man with the most consecutive wins in the division, the third most successful world title defenses, and the best overall winning percentage in company history would make the division’s Mount Rushmore cut, right?

Not according to #5-ranked welterweight Belal Muhammad.

“My welterweight Mount Rushmore? GSP, obviously; I would put T-Woodley; I would put Matt Hughes; and then I would put maybe BJ Penn, just because he had that one fight, but that’s my (list) right now,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie.

At this point, one of the podcast hosts, Gorgeous George, couldn’t help but ask about Usman’s absence from Muhammad’s list.

“No, he ain’t getting that respect until he beats me,” Muhammad declared. “And if you’re looking at it, I tell people, people keep saying he’s one of the best welterweights ever of all time. I’m like, he’s beaten Colby twice, he’s beaten Masvidal twice, he’s beaten Gilbert [Burns].

“Those are just three guys. It’s not like he’s gone through seven or eight different opponents. I mean, I respect him as a champion. He’s staying busy. But you’re fighting rematches before you’re giving other guys a chance to match up against you.”

While everyone is entitled to their opinions on such subjective matters, Muhammad’s reasoning does have some clear inconsistencies.

Firstly, if the primary reason for omitting Usman is because of the number of fighters he’s defended his title against, Tyron Woodley also defended his title against three different men: Stephen Thompson, Demian Maia, and Darren Till. This doesn’t even take into account the fact that Usman dominated Woodley to win the championship.

More glaringly, B.J. Penn has a grand sum of 0 welterweight title defenses on his résumé.

Nevertheless, if you look closely, you might detect a subtle smirk on Muhammad’s face as he mulled over his list during lengthy silences between his mentions. This, plus the fact that he inserted himself into Usman’s requirements to make the cut, could very well signal that Muhammad is either trolling or trying to prod Usman into a title fight against him.

At the moment, Usman is scheduled to face a new challenger in Leon Edwards at an unconfirmed date. However, Usman does hold a pre-title-reign victory over Edwards, so perhaps Muhammad will give minimal if any credit if Usman completes this sixth successful title defense.

What do you make of Belal Muhammad’s welterweight Mount Rushmore?

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Leaves Usman Off His Welterweight Mount Rushmore at MMA News.

Belal Muhammad Trolls Colby Covington For Refusing To Fight Him

Belal Muhammad has taken to social media in an attempt to bait top-ranked welterweight Colby Covington into an Octagon encounter. Muhammad recently took to his Instagram account to share a photoshopped image of himself chasing down Covington with a fight contract, while “Chaos” runs off holding a teddy bear. Check out the image here below:…

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Trolls Colby Covington For Refusing To Fight Him at MMA News.

Belal Muhammad has taken to social media in an attempt to bait top-ranked welterweight Colby Covington into an Octagon encounter.

Muhammad recently took to his Instagram account to share a photoshopped image of himself chasing down Covington with a fight contract, while “Chaos” runs off holding a teddy bear. Check out the image here below:

A potential pairing of Muhammad and Covington is certainly possible. Muhammad is on a seven-fight win streak, with one No Contest in between due to an eye poke stopping the fight. Muhammad has racked up wins against the likes of Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson, and Demian Maia. Currently the No. 5-ranked 170-pounder in the UFC, Muhammad is looking to take another big leap towards title contention.

With that being said, what opponent would be a better stepping stone to the title other than Colby Covington? Covington is currently the No. 1-ranked fighter at 170 pounds, as his only losses in the UFC come to the current champion, Kamaru Usman.

Covington has earned wins against names such as Demian Maia, Rafael dos Anjos, Robbie Lawler, Tyron Woodley, and Jorge Masvidal. He has also challenged Usman twice, both times putting on incredibly close bouts with the champion, but coming up just short in each.

His last opportunity against Usman came in November of last year, so Covington will likely need to string together a few more wins before earning a third shot at “The Nigerian Nightmare.” A potential win over a fellow top-ranked welterweight in Muhammad could certainly be just what he needs.

Do you think Covington and Muhammad will be matched up next? Who do you think wins the potential matchup? Let us know in the comments!

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Trolls Colby Covington For Refusing To Fight Him at MMA News.

Muhammad: Sterling Win Motivated Me To Prove The Haters Wrong

UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad has revealed how Aljamain Sterling’s successful title defense at UFC 273 motivated him ahead of his main event this past weekend. At UFC Vegas 51, Muhammad continued his charge towards the title by extending his win streak to three and his unbeaten run to eight straight fights. “Remember The Name”…

Continue Reading Muhammad: Sterling Win Motivated Me To Prove The Haters Wrong at MMA News.

UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad has revealed how Aljamain Sterling’s successful title defense at UFC 273 motivated him ahead of his main event this past weekend.

At UFC Vegas 51, Muhammad continued his charge towards the title by extending his win streak to three and his unbeaten run to eight straight fights. “Remember The Name” did so by avenging his 2016 knockout loss to Vicente Luque.

The victory, which marked his first headline triumph in MMA’s premier promotion, secured Muhammad a place inside the welterweight top five, meaning he’s likely just one more win away from a shot at gold.

Despite his 2021 triumphs over Demian Maia and Stephen Thompson, Muhammad had his fair share of detractors heading into his first appearance of 2022. By dispatching Luque, who was in hot form and tipped by many to earn a title shot soon, the Chicago native certainly scored a point over his doubters.

His scenario is certainly similar to that of 135-pound king Sterling, who, like Muhammad, recently achieved the feat of silencing his doubters. “Funk Master” proved his naysayers wrong in the UFC 273 co-main event on April 9, earning a split decision win against heavy favorite Petr Yan.

In an interview with ESPN MMA’s Marc Raimondi, Muhammad compared the hate he and Sterling have received and expressed joy at seeing the New York native have the gold wrapped around his waist without the controversy of a disqualification.

“Aljamain got illegally kneed, and people hate him for that. I got poked, and that’s when it like, swings at me that I’m a crybaby now. I’m like, bro, the stuff happened to us. We didn’t go out there and illegally do the stuff,” reminded Muhammad. “It’s weird how it just changes. It’s funny and it’s great seeing it. He was doubted by so many people and hated by so many people before (UFC 273)… It felt good seeing them actually put (the title) around his waist.”

Muhammad went on to state that Sterling’s against-the-odds success in Jacksonville inspired him to stick it to his own doubters a week later in Las Vegas.

“He proved a lot of haters and doubters wrong, and it motivated me to prove the haters and doubters wrong. Everybody told me I’m gonna get knocked out, I’m gonna go out there and I’m gonna lose,” continued Muhammad. “The same way as, ‘Oh, Yan was killing Aljamain the first fight,’ I got, ‘You got knocked out the first fight, you’re gonna get knocked out again.’ So, it felt good to get that one up over all of them.”

Muhammad will now be hoping to go even further by reaching the top of the welterweight mountaintop. For his remaining doubters, the presence of gold around his waist would certainly damage their line of argument.

Were you impressed by Belal Muhammad’s performance against Vicente Luque at UFC Vegas 51?

Continue Reading Muhammad: Sterling Win Motivated Me To Prove The Haters Wrong at MMA News.

Muhammad: Sterling Win Motivated Me To Prove The Haters Wrong

UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad has revealed how Aljamain Sterling’s successful title defense at UFC 273 motivated him ahead of his main event this past weekend. At UFC Vegas 51, Muhammad continued his charge towards the title by extending his win streak to three and his unbeaten run to eight straight fights. “Remember The Name”…

Continue Reading Muhammad: Sterling Win Motivated Me To Prove The Haters Wrong at MMA News.

UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad has revealed how Aljamain Sterling’s successful title defense at UFC 273 motivated him ahead of his main event this past weekend.

At UFC Vegas 51, Muhammad continued his charge towards the title by extending his win streak to three and his unbeaten run to eight straight fights. “Remember The Name” did so by avenging his 2016 knockout loss to Vicente Luque.

The victory, which marked his first headline triumph in MMA’s premier promotion, secured Muhammad a place inside the welterweight top five, meaning he’s likely just one more win away from a shot at gold.

Despite his 2021 triumphs over Demian Maia and Stephen Thompson, Muhammad had his fair share of detractors heading into his first appearance of 2022. By dispatching Luque, who was in hot form and tipped by many to earn a title shot soon, the Chicago native certainly scored a point over his doubters.

His scenario is certainly similar to that of 135-pound king Sterling, who, like Muhammad, recently achieved the feat of silencing his doubters. “Funk Master” proved his naysayers wrong in the UFC 273 co-main event on April 9, earning a split decision win against heavy favorite Petr Yan.

In an interview with ESPN MMA’s Marc Raimondi, Muhammad compared the hate he and Sterling have received and expressed joy at seeing the New York native have the gold wrapped around his waist without the controversy of a disqualification.

“Aljamain got illegally kneed, and people hate him for that. I got poked, and that’s when it like, swings at me that I’m a crybaby now. I’m like, bro, the stuff happened to us. We didn’t go out there and illegally do the stuff,” reminded Muhammad. “It’s weird how it just changes. It’s funny and it’s great seeing it. He was doubted by so many people and hated by so many people before (UFC 273)… It felt good seeing them actually put (the title) around his waist.”

Muhammad went on to state that Sterling’s against-the-odds success in Jacksonville inspired him to stick it to his own doubters a week later in Las Vegas.

“He proved a lot of haters and doubters wrong, and it motivated me to prove the haters and doubters wrong. Everybody told me I’m gonna get knocked out, I’m gonna go out there and I’m gonna lose,” continued Muhammad. “The same way as, ‘Oh, Yan was killing Aljamain the first fight,’ I got, ‘You got knocked out the first fight, you’re gonna get knocked out again.’ So, it felt good to get that one up over all of them.”

Muhammad will now be hoping to go even further by reaching the top of the welterweight mountaintop. For his remaining doubters, the presence of gold around his waist would certainly damage their line of argument.

Were you impressed by Belal Muhammad’s performance against Vicente Luque at UFC Vegas 51?

Continue Reading Muhammad: Sterling Win Motivated Me To Prove The Haters Wrong at MMA News.

Belal Muhammad Open To “Slapping” Around “Irish Gimp” McGregor

UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad would be open to a fight with Conor McGregor for his next Octagon appearance in 2022. Muhammad is fresh off of his third straight win following a no-contest against Leon Edwards, defeating Vicente Luque in a rematch at UFC Vegas 51 last weekend. He earned a unanimous decision win after…

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Open To “Slapping” Around “Irish Gimp” McGregor at MMA News.

UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad would be open to a fight with Conor McGregor for his next Octagon appearance in 2022.

Muhammad is fresh off of his third straight win following a no-contest against Leon Edwards, defeating Vicente Luque in a rematch at UFC Vegas 51 last weekend. He earned a unanimous decision win after getting knocked out by Luque at UFC 205 six years ago.

Muhammad and McGregor seem to be close to sharing the same division soon after McGregor teased a move to welterweight for his UFC return. He is eying a title shot against Kamaru Usman later this year, but it’s unclear if the UFC will book that fight next for him.

During a recent interview with ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, Muhammad entertained the idea of welcoming McGregor in his planned full-time move to welterweight.

“You still got the Irish gimp that’s talking about coming up to 170,” Muhammad said of McGregor. “So, I wouldn’t mind slapping him around too. We’ve gone back and forth here and there, he’s talked about it. He looks like he’s juiced up a little bit. We’ll be the same size, I’m not the biggest 170lber.”

McGregor hasn’t fought since snapping his leg against Dustin Poirier in their trilogy at UFC 264. He has competed at welterweight three times before, earning wins over Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone.

Muhammad is also vying for a welterweight title shot against the Usman/Edwards winner later this year. It’s unclear if he’ll get the next title shot, but a fight against McGregor could make sense for the ambitions of both men.

Who do you want to see Belal Muhammad fight next?

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Open To “Slapping” Around “Irish Gimp” McGregor at MMA News.