Two of the best at welterweight, Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad, will square off in the main event of the UFC’s April 16 card according to a report from Brett Okamoto of ESPN. “Vicente Luque (@VicenteLuqueMMA) vs. Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) will headline UFC Fight Night on April 16, per sources,” Okamoto wrote on social media. […]
Two of the best at welterweight, Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad, will square off in the main event of the UFC’s April 16 card according to a report from Brett Okamoto of ESPN.
“Vicente Luque (@VicenteLuqueMMA) vs. Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) will headline UFC Fight Night on April 16, per sources,” Okamoto wrote on social media. “Ranked Nos. 4 and 5 in the UFC, respectively. Rematch of a fight that took place in 2016, which Luque won via TKO. An impactful one for the division.”
Vicente Luque (@VicenteLuqueMMA) vs. Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) will headline UFC Fight Night on April 16, per sources. Ranked Nos. 4 and 5 in the UFC, respectively. Rematch of a fight that took place in 2016, which Luque won via TKO. An impactful one for the division. pic.twitter.com/To6d0ysFd8
As mentioned above, this will be a rematch of a fight that went down in 2016. On that occasion, Luque caught Muhammad with a lead left hook and dropped him before following up with ground strikes for the first-round TKO win.
Since then, Luque has gone 10-2 in the UFC and has only suffered defeats against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson and Leon Edwards. ‘The Silent Assassin‘ is currently riding a four-fight win streak that includes victories over Michael Chiesa and Tyron Woodley.
Muhammad has been just as impressive since his first fight with Luque. ‘Remember The Name’ has picked up 10 wins with one defeat since then and is currently riding a six-fight win streak that includes high-profile victories over Thompson and Demian Maia.
Who do you think will win on April 16? Vicente Luque or Belal Muhammad?
Ranked welterweights Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad are set to meet in the main event of UFC’s April 16th card.
The five-round matchup between top welterweights was first reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN on Tuesday. It’s expected to headline a F…
Ranked welterweights Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad are set to meet in the main event of UFC’s April 16th card.
The five-round matchup between top welterweights was first reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN on Tuesday. It’s expected to headline a Fight Night card that doesn’t have a confirmed location at the moment.
The matchup allows the welterweight division to come one step closer to finding the next challenger for current champ Kamaru Usman. Luque is currently ranked at #4 in the division, with Muhammad listed just behind him.
Luque is currently on a four-fight winning streak that has been in development over the past two years. His most recent appearance was in August, where he secured a first-round submission victory over Michael Chiesa.
Prior victories from Luque include wins over notable names like former champ Tyron Woodley and divisional vet Randy Brown. His UFC career has been highly successful since joining in 2015, attaining 14 wins through 17 fights.
Muhammad has also maintained a lengthy win streak in recent years. He has gone undefeated since April 2019, attaining six victories in that time. He overcame two veterans in 2021, first going through Demian Maia before beating Stephen Thompson in December.
The new booking is a chance for Muhammad to get a proper re-appearance into the main event picture. He made his first UFC main event appearance in March 2021, although that fight didn’t produce a satisfying result. His bout against Leon Edwards was ruled a no-contest finish, as Muhammad suffered a brutal eye poke just moments into the second round.
Who do you favor in a fight between Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad?
UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad poked fun at Khamzat Chimaev for allegedly dodging him for a fight in the Octagon.
Muhammad most recently put on arguably the most dominant performance of his career against Stephen Thompson. As the new yea…
UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad poked fun at Khamzat Chimaev for allegedly dodging him for a fight in the Octagon.
Muhammad most recently put on arguably the most dominant performance of his career against Stephen Thompson. As the new year begins, he’s potentially one fight away from a welterweight title shot.
Muhammad has been calling out Chimaev for weeks for a bout. Meanwhile, Chimaev has been eagerly waiting for his return to the Octagon after a decisive win at UFC 267 over Li Jingliang.
Muhammad first called out Chimaev following his latest win. During a recent Instagram post, he jokingly aimed at Chimaev.
Chimaev first became a household name after a memorable 2020. He finished the calendar year with three-straight finishes, including two within 10 days.
As for Muhammad, it’s unclear who he’ll face for his first fight of 2022, but he remains interested in a matchup with the rising Chimaev. Depending on how the welterweight title conversation plays out, these two could battle sooner rather than later.
Muhammad joined the elite at 170 pounds with an emphatic performance at the final UFC event of 2021. In the co-main event slot, “Remember The Name” faced divisional veteran and elite striker Stephen Thompson.
Despite being controlled in his previous fight with Gilbert Burns, many expected “Wonderboy” to get his championship charge back on track by halting the surge of Muhammad. Instead, the 38-year-old fell to back-to-back losses for the second time in his career and slid further away from a third UFC title shot.
Muhammad Explains Why Masvidal Should Accept A Fight With Him
Since extending his unbeaten streak to seven, Belal Muhammad hasn’t shied away from pushing for his next opponent. Having expressed interest in facing surging brute Khamzat Chimaev, top contender Colby Covington, and running it back with Leon Edwards, the 33-year-old has now trained his aim on Jorge Masvidal.
During an interview with TMZ Sports, Muhammad made his desire to stay active and fight for a title shot clear. To achieve that, he believes he should go through “Gamebred” next.
Explaining why the matchup makes sense for Masvidal, Muhammad suggested a victory for the Miami native would allow him the chance to make up for some prior losses.
“I brought up Masvidal. (I’m) right ahead of him. He fought for the title twice, I just beat Maia, who fought for the title twice, I beat Wonderboy, who fought for the title twice, I’ll take Masvidal, who fought for the title twice. I beat two guys that beat him already back-to-back. So maybe for him, beating me would erase those two losses a little bit. I think that fight really makes sense.
“Obviously, big-name value fight (is against) Masvidal. He’s been saying he wants to fight guys that will get him to a title shot, I think fighting a guy like me, who’s right above him, #5, makes a lot of sense… Me against him would be a really good fight, and stylistically, I think think it’s a great fight, and personally, too… My manager slapped his manager in the face, I used to be with his manager but my team fired him, so there’s some stuff there. We could make something out of that one.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CX1Hq8KLocu/
While it remains to be seen whether Masvidal would be willing to drop his pursuit of clashes with arch-nemesis Edwards and former teammate Covington in favor of a fight with Muhammad, the clash certainly makes sense in terms of rankings. It would also achieve his goal of bringing him closer to a trilogy with Kamaru Usman should he emerge victorious over “Remember The Name.”
How do you think a fight between Belal Muhammad and Jorge Masvidal would play out?
UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson has discussed his latest setback in the Octagon and explained what went wrong on the night.
In early 2021, Thompson was riding high off back-to-back wins against Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal. As an in-form top-five…
UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson has discussed his latest setback in the Octagon and explained what went wrong on the night.
In early 2021, Thompson was riding high off back-to-back wins against Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal. As an in-form top-five fighter and one of the few top contenders Kamaru Usman is yet to face, many predicted a title shot down the line.
“Wonderboy” seemingly had the chance to secure one at UFC 264 against Gilbert Burns. Instead, he was controlled and comfortably beaten on the scorecards. With his motivation unwavering, the 38-year-old hoped to get back on track by fitting in another fight before the close of the year.
After Belal Muhammad answered his prayers, many expected Thompson to re-enter the win column and stake his claim for a matchup with the champion. But once again, the two-time title challenger failed to keep the fight on the feet and was dominated throughout, falling to yet another unanimous decision.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXpb8hGoqNF/
Thompson: “I Got Manhandled For Three Rounds”
During a recent episode of his podcast, Stephen Thompson addressed his defeat and analyzed what went wrong in the UFC Vegas 45 co-main event.
While he conceded that he was “manhandled” for the best part of 15 minutes, Thompson suggested a botched rehydration process may have had a part to play. Despite having a good camp, “Wonderboy” admitted he was a lot more tired and exhausted at the start of the fight, something he says he noticed even before entering the Octagon.
“I lost my fight, got manhandled for three rounds. Yeah man, it was a sucky experience, to be honest with you. Like, you know, I don’t know why this happens but when you know I had a great camp, camp was awesome. I was in the greatest shape of my life, you know. Was in shape, felt strong and then you know things start to kind of get a little weird whenever you’re getting ready to go out you’re in the back kind of warming up and your legs start to feel tingly, that’s not a good sign…Maybe it had something to do with my rehydration; not sure. But I felt exhausted, felt super tired right out of the first round. I didn’t want to say anything to my coaches or anything that my legs were feeling tingly.
“It was the rehydration, that was just difficult. You know back in the past, it was kind of like an unwritten rule or untalked about thing that before USADA, we were allowed to IVs you know and it was kind of… something we did back in our hotel. Everybody did it. It was such an easier way to get those fluids back and you felt so much better, like, instantly. And now having to do everything orally, it’s difficult, it takes longer, you don’t know if you have drank enough.” (h/t Sportskeeda)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXsFZdFKKS4/
Given his age and losses in 2021, some fans and pundits have suggested Thompson isn’t capable of competing at the highest level anymore. But “Wonderboy” has no plans to hang up his gloves anytime soon.
Having previously revealed his desire to become the oldest fighter in UFC history, Thompson has now questioned why fans want him to retire. According to the 38-year-old, his body feels better than it did five years ago when he fought Tyron Woodley for the title.
“I feel like people that do retire, when they sit down on the chair, they just feel like they should retire. Like just, their bodies beat up, aches and pains… When I sit here and I’m sitting down in this chair, I feel great. I feel fine. I feel fine. I feel better than I was five years ago. I just don’t get it.” (h/t Sportskeeda)
With his motivation to compete as high as ever, we’ll likely be seeing Thompson attempt a resurgence in 2022.
Do you think Stephen Thompson can still compete at the highest level in the UFC welterweight division?
UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad believes the UFC and Dana White need to start pushing him over other top-five guys like Leon Edwards.
Muhammad moved one step closer to the top of the 170-pound mountain this year with victories over a pair…
UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad believes the UFC and Dana White need to start pushing him over other top-five guys like Leon Edwards.
Muhammad moved one step closer to the top of the 170-pound mountain this year with victories over a pair of former title challengers. After a disappointing no contest against Edwards in March, which came after Muhammad was the victim of a nasty eye poke, “Remember The Name” bounced back with a comfortable win against veteran Brazilian Demian Maia at UFC 263.
Following that triumph, Muhammad had his second crack at a top-five opponent, this time in the form of two-time title challenger Stephen Thompson. In the final co-main event of the year, Muhammad broke into the welterweight elite with a dominant performance. After controlling and beating “Wonderboy” for the majority of the contest, the 33-year-old was awarded a unanimous decision on the scorecards.
Now sitting at #5 on the welterweight ladder, Muhammad is unbeaten in seven fights. Since a 2019 defeat to Geoff Neal, the Chicago native has added victories over Lyman Good, Dhiego Lima, Maia, and Edwards to his impressive 20-3 résumé. With that form in mind, Muhammad is likely one impressive victory away over a fellow top-five name from a shot at gold.
During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Muhammad made his case for a big push towards the title. Addressing UFC President Dana White, “Remember The Name” suggested he’s the contender that “has it all,” something he doesn’t believe #3-ranked Edwards can say about himself.
“Dana, I know you’re watching this, you’ve got four weeks off to think about this. When you really think about it, there are not a lot of guys out here that are promoting themselves like me. I’m a guy that knows how to talk, I’m a guy who knows how to fight, I’m a guy that can fight the best of the best, be with the best of the best, and talk with the best of the best. I’m that guy that has it all.
“You guys are out here trying to push the wrong guys. Leon hasn’t said anything witty or cool in the last like, 10 years. Whenever he opens his mouth, something stupid comes out. I’m the guy that you need to start pushing.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CX9OjMzF1eh/
Muhammad has certainly not been shy to call out other top welterweights since his victory over “Wonderboy” prior to Christmas. As well as calling for a rematch with Edwards and discrediting “Rocky” as a title contender, the 33-year-old has expressed an interest in facing Khamzat Chimaev.
While it remains to be seen which way the promotion will go, we can expect Muhammad to be opposite a big name the next time he steps into the Octagon.
Do you agree with Belal Muhammad? Is he the welterweight the UFC needs to be pushing?
