Belal Muhammad

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For the Bangladeshi independence activist, see Belal Muhammad (activist).
Belal Muhammad
BornBelal Muhammad
(1988-07-09) July 9, 1988 (age 33)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Other namesRemember the Name
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight170 lb (77 kg; 12 st)
DivisionWelterweight
Reach72 in (183 cm)[1]
Fighting out ofChicago, Illinois, United States
TeamRoufusport (2013–present)[2]
Chicago Fight Team (2010–present)[3]
Valle Flow Striking
RankPurple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Daniel Wanderley[4]
Years active2012–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total24
Wins20
By knockout4
By submission1
By decision15
Losses3
By knockout1
By decision2
No contests1
Other information
UniversityUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Belal Muhammad (born July 9, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who is currently competing in the UFC welterweight division. A professional since 2012, he has also competed for Bellator and Titan FC. As of December 20, 2021, he is #5 in the UFC welterweight rankings.[5]

Background[]

Muhammad was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, to Palestinian parents.[6] He has four siblings.[7] He wrestled in high school – Bogan High School – and attended but did not complete a degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.[8] Muhammad is a Muslim.[9]

Mixed martial arts career[]

Shortly after a TKO victory over Steve Carl to become the Titan Fighting Championships Welterweight Champion, and push his record to 9–0, Muhammad signed with the UFC in 2016.[10]

Ultimate Fighting Championship[]

On July 7, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 90, Muhammad made his UFC debut, as a short-notice replacement, against Alan Jouban.[11] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[12] Both participants were awarded Fight of the Night honors for their performances.[13]

Muhammad next faced Augusto Montaño on September 17, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 94.[14] He won the fight via TKO in the third round.[15]

Muhammad was expected to face Lyman Good on November 12, 2016 at UFC 205.[16] However, on October 24, Good was pulled from the card after being notified by USADA of a potential anti-doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition drug test sample collected ten days earlier.[17] He was replaced by Vicente Luque.[18] Muhammad lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[19]

Muhammad was a short notice replacement and stepped in to face Randy Brown on February 11, 2017 at UFC 208.[20] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[21]

Muhammad faced Jordan Mein on July 8, 2017 at UFC 213.[22] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[23]

Muhammad was expected to face Jesse Taylor on November 19, 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura.[24] However, on September 13, it was announced that Taylor was pulled from the card after being notified by USADA of a potential doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition drug test conducted on August 22.[25] He was replaced by Tim Means.[26] Muhammad won the fight via split decision.[27]

Muhammad was expected to face Niko Price on June 1, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 131.[28] However, Price was removed from the bout on May 22 for undisclosed reasons and replaced by promotional newcomer Chance Rencountre.[29] Muhammad won the fight via unanimous decision.[30]

Muhammad was scheduled to meet Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos on September 22, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 137.[31] However, on September 14, 2018 Muhammad was pulled from the bout and he was replaced by newcomer Luigi Vendramini.[32]

Muhammad faced Geoff Neal on January 19, 2019 at UFC Fight Night 143.[33] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[34]

Muhammad faced Curtis Millender on April 13, 2019 at UFC 236.[35] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[36]

Muhammad faced Takashi Sato on September 7, 2019 at UFC 242.[37] He won the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the third round.[38] This win earned Muhammad his first Performance of the Night award.[39]

Muhammad was expected to face Lyman Good on April 18, 2020 at UFC 249.[40] However on April 4, Good pulled out due to COVID-19 infection.[41][42] The bout was rebooked and eventually took place on June 20, 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov.[43] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[44]

Muhammad was expected to face Sean Brady on December 19, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 183.[45] However in late October, Brady had a broken nose and had to pull out of their bout,[46] and he was replaced by Dhiego Lima.[47] Subsequently, Muhammed was diagnosed with COVID-19 during the week leading up to the event and the bout was scrapped from the card[48] and the bout was rescheduled to February 13, 2021 at UFC 258[49] Muhammad won the fight via unanimous decision.[50]

Muhammad faced Leon Edwards on March 13, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 187.[51] During the second round, Edwards poked Muhammad in the eye rendering him unable to continue. The fight was declared a no contest.[52]

Muhammad faced Demian Maia on June 12, 2021 at UFC 263.[53] Muhammad won the fight via unanimous decision.[54]

Muhammad faced Stephen Thompson on December 18, 2021 at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus.[55] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[56]

Personal life[]

Muhammad is an outspoken supporter of Palestine. He displays the Palestinian flag during his octagon entrance and post-fight results.[57] He has denounced the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, showing support for Palestinians while also condemning any anti-Semitic responses from protesters.[58] On June 1, 2020, businesses owned by Muhammad's father and cousins in Chicago were looted and destroyed as a result of the George Floyd unrest.[59] He threw the ceremonial first pitch for the Chicago Cubs on July 28, 2021.[60]

Championships and accomplishments[]

Mixed martial arts record[]

Professional record breakdown
24 matches 20 wins 3 losses
By knockout 4 1
By submission 1 0
By decision 15 2
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 20–3 (1) Stephen Thompson Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus December 18, 2021 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 19–3 (1) Demian Maia Decision (unanimous) UFC 263 June 12, 2021 3 5:00 Glendale, Arizona, United States
NC 18–3 (1) Leon Edwards NC (accidental eye poke) UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad March 13, 2021 2 0:18 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Accidental eye poke rendered Muhammad unable to continue.
Win 18–3 Dhiego Lima Decision (unanimous) UFC 258 February 13, 2021 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 17–3 Lyman Good Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov June 20, 2020 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 16–3 Takashi Sato Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 242 September 7, 2019 3 1:55 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Performance of the Night.
Win 15–3 Curtis Millender Decision (unanimous) UFC 236 April 13, 2019 3 5:00 Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Loss 14–3 Geoff Neal Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw January 19, 2019 3 5:00 Brooklyn, New York, United States
Win 14–2 Chance Rencountre Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes June 1, 2018 3 5:00 Utica, New York, United States
Win 13–2 Tim Means Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura November 19, 2017 3 5:00 Sydney, Australia
Win 12–2 Jordan Mein Decision (unanimous) UFC 213 July 8, 2017 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 11–2 Randy Brown Decision (unanimous) UFC 208 February 11, 2017 3 5:00 Brooklyn, New York, United States
Loss 10–2 Vicente Luque KO (punches) UFC 205 November 12, 2016 1 1:19 New York City, New York, United States
Win 10–1 Augusto Montaño TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson September 17, 2016 3 4:19 Hidalgo, Texas, United States
Loss 9–1 Alan Jouban Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Alvarez July 7, 2016 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Fight of the Night.
Win 9–0 Steve Carl TKO (punches) Titan FC 38 April 30, 2016 4 4:07 Miami, Florida, United States Won the Titan FC Welterweight Championship.
Win 8–0 Zane Kamaka Decision (unanimous) Titan FC 35 September 19, 2015 3 5:00 Ridgefield, Washington, United States
Win 7–0 Keith Johnson Decision (unanimous) Titan FC 33 March 20, 2015 3 5:00 Mobile, Alabama, United States Catchweight (174 lb) bout; Johnson missed weight.
Win 6–0 Chris Curtis Decision (unanimous) Hoosier Fight Club 21 September 13, 2014 3 5:00 Valparaiso, Indiana, United States
Win 5–0 A.J. Matthews Decision (unanimous) Bellator 112 March 14, 2014 3 5:00 Hammond, Indiana, United States
Win 4–0 Garrett Gross Decision (unanimous) Hoosier Fight Club 18 November 9, 2013 3 5:00 Valparaiso, Indiana, United States
Win 3–0 Jimmy Fritz TKO (punches) Hoosier Fight Club 15 April 6, 2013 2 2:19 Valparaiso, Indiana, United States
Win 2–0 Quinton McCottrell Decision (unanimous) Bellator 84 December 14, 2012 3 5:00 Hammond, Indiana, United States
Win 1–0 Justin Brock TKO (punches) Hoosier Fight Club 12 August 18, 2012 1 2:17 Valparaiso, Indiana, United States Welterweight debut.

[63]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Belal Muhammad | UFC". UFC.com. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Tim Thompson (August 30, 2016). "Exclusive Interview With UFC Welterweight Contender Belal Muhammad". mmanews.com.
  3. ^ Danny Doherty (September 15, 2016). "UFC Hidalgo: Belal Muhammad Looking for More Bonus Money". cagepages.com.
  4. ^ @bullyb170 (May 24, 2017). ""(...) I was promoted to purple belt today!!!! (...)"". Retrieved July 9, 2017 – via Instagram.
  5. ^ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  6. ^ Hannoun, Farah. "Fighting, faith and family: Belal Muhammad proud to represent ahead of UFC 242". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  7. ^ Steven Marrocco (January 9, 2021). "Belal Muhammad aiming for breakthrough 2021: 'I belong fighting these top-tier guys'". mmafighting.com.
  8. ^ Raimondi, Marc (November 12, 2016). "Muhammad embracing idea of being Muslim role model". MMA Fighting. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  9. ^ "Belal Muhammad On Fighting During Ramadan, Representing 'Real Muslims' - FloCombat". www.flocombat.com. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  10. ^ Zane Simon (May 27, 2016). "Welcome to the UFC, Belal Muhammad". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  11. ^ Tristen Critchfield (June 8, 2016). "Alan Jouban gets new opponent Belal Muhammad for UFC Fight Night on July 7". sherdog.com. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  12. ^ Brent Brookhouse (July 7, 2016). "UFC Fight Night 90 results: Alan Jouban outworks gutsy Belal Muhammad for decision win". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  13. ^ Tristen Critchfield (July 7, 2016). "UFC Fight Night bonuses: Alvarez, Jouban, Muhammad, Munhoz collect $50K". sherdog.com. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  14. ^ Staff (July 21, 2016). "Augusto Montano vs. Belal Muhammad added to UFC Fight Night 94 in Texas". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  15. ^ Ben Fowlkes (September 17, 2016). "UFC Fight Night 94 results: Belal Muhammad drops hands on Augusto Montano for late stoppage". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  16. ^ Shaun Al-Shatti (September 23, 2016). "Belal Muhammad gets quick turnaround, fights Lyman Good at UFC 205". mmafighting.com. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  17. ^ Staff (October 24, 2016). "Lyman Good receives USADA notice, pulled from UFC 205". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  18. ^ Jesse Holland (October 25, 2016). "Vicente Luque has Good reason to face Belal Muhammad at UFC 205". mmamania.com. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  19. ^ Steven Marrocco (November 12, 2016). "UFC 205 results: Vicente Luque ends Belal Muhammad's night in 79 seconds with vicious KO". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  20. ^ Staff (February 4, 2017). "With Sullivan out, Randy Brown now meets Belal Muhammad at UFC 208 in Brooklyn". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  21. ^ Ben Fowlkes (February 11, 2017). "UFC 208 results: Belal Muhammad cruises past New York's Randy Brown for decision win". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  22. ^ Daniel Austin (May 25, 2017). "Lethbridge fighter Jordan Mein to battle Belal Muhammad in UFC 213". calgaryherald.com. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  23. ^ "UFC 213 results: Belal Muhammad soundly defeats Jordan Mein by unanimous decision". MMAjunkie. July 9, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  24. ^ Staff (August 17, 2017). "Belal Muhammad says he's fighting Jesse Taylor at UFC Fight Night 121 in Australia". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  25. ^ Tristen Critchfield (September 13, 2017). "'TUF 25' winner Jesse Taylor facing anti-doping violation, removed from UFC Fight Night 121". sherdog.com. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  26. ^ Shawn Bitter (October 11, 2017). "Tim Means vs. Belal Muhammad in the works for UFC Sydney". mma-today.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  27. ^ "UFC Fight Night 121 results: Belal Muhammad takes split from Tim Means, calls out Colby Covington". MMAjunkie. November 19, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  28. ^ Staff (April 11, 2018). "UFC Fight Night 131 in Utica gets two new bouts". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  29. ^ Staff (May 22, 2018). "Belal Muhammad gets new opponent for UFC Fight Night 131 in Utica". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  30. ^ "UFC Fight Night 131 results: Belal Muhammad makes easy work of Chance Rencountre". MMAjunkie. June 2, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  31. ^ "Belal Muhammad vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos added to UFC Fight Night 137 in Brazil". MMAjunkie. July 13, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  32. ^ "Undefeated newcomer Luigi Vendramini replaces Belal Muhammad at UFC Sao Paulo". MMA Fighting. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  33. ^ Mark La Monica (November 6, 2018). "UFC on ESPN+ in Brooklyn gets its first scheduled bout". newsday.com. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  34. ^ Dave Doyle (January 19, 2019). "UFC Brooklyn results: Geoff Neal scores impressive win over Belal Muhammad". mmafighting.com. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  35. ^ Marcel Dorff. "Snelle terugkeer voor Curtis Millender tegen Belal Muhammad tijdens UFC 236 in Atlanta" (in Dutch). Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  36. ^ "UFC 236 results: Belal Muhammad relentless pressure too much for Curtis Millender". MMA Junkie. April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  37. ^ Marcel Dorff. "Belal Muhammad vs. Takashi Sato eerste gevecht voor UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi" (in Dutch). Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  38. ^ Anderson, Jay (September 7, 2019). "UFC 242 Results: Belal Muhammad Wraps Up Win Over Takeshi Sato With Third-Round Submission". Cageside Press. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  39. ^ Lee, Alexander K. (September 7, 2019). "Khabib Nurmagemodov leads quartet of UFC 242 performance bonuses". MMA Fighting. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  40. ^ Mark La Monica (February 12, 2020). "UFC 249: Lyman Good vs. Belal Muhammad set for welterweight bout at Barclays Center". newsday.com. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  41. ^ Marrocco, Steven (April 20, 2020). "Lyman Good admits positive test for COVID-19, says he's healthy now and wants to fight". MMA Fighting. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  42. ^ Danny Segura (April 4, 2020). "Lyman Good out of UFC 249 bout with Belal Muhammad due to injury". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  43. ^ Farah Hannoun (May 22, 2020). "Lyman Good to face Belal Muhammad in first UFC fight since coronavirus infection". mmajunkie.com.
  44. ^ Jay Anderson (June 21, 2020). "UFC on ESPN 11 Results: Belal Muhammad Bloodied, But Gets By Lyman Good". Cageside Press. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  45. ^ Farah Hannoun (October 7, 2020). "Belal Muhammad vs. Sean Brady added to UFC's Dec. 19 event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  46. ^ Farah Hannoun (October 30, 2020). "Belal Muhammad says Sean Brady is out of their fight, wants Mike Perry as a replacement". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  47. ^ Jamal Boussenaf (November 16, 2020). "Dhiego Lima vervangt uitgevallen Sean Brady tegen Belal Muhammad". MMA DNA (in Dutch). Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  48. ^ Staff (December 15, 2020). "COVID-19 takes Belal Muhammad out of Dhiego Lima bout at UFC Fight Night 183". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  49. ^ Heck, Mike (January 8, 2021). "Belal Muhammad vs. Dhiego Lima rebooked for UFC 258". MMA Fighting. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  50. ^ Vreeland, Daniel (February 13, 2021). "UFC 258 Results: Belal Muhammad Backs Up and Batters Dhiego Lima". Cageside Press. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  51. ^ Nolan King and Farah Hannoun (February 18, 2021). "Belal Muhammad steps up, agrees to Leon Edwards fight for UFC main event on March 13". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  52. ^ Doherty, Dan (March 13, 2021). "UFC Vegas 21 Results: Accidental Eye Poke Ends Main Event". Cageside Press. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  53. ^ Damon Martin and Mike Heck. "Demian Maia to face Belal Muhammad at UFC 263". MMA FIGHTING. Retrieved April 4, 2021.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  54. ^ Vreeland, Daniel (June 12, 2021). "UFC 263 Results: Belal Muhammad Stuffs Demian Maia's Takedowns, Wins Decision". Cageside Press. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  55. ^ Jay Pettry (November 11, 2021). "Stephen Thompson-Belal Muhammad welterweight battle set for UFC Fight Night 199". Sherdog. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  56. ^ Anderson, Jay (December 18, 2021). "UFC Vegas 45: Belal Muhammad Out-Grapples Stephen Thompson for Decision Win". Cageside Press. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  57. ^ Khaled, Ali. "Belal Muhammad proud to display Palestinian roots in bid to upset Demian Maia at UFC". Arab News. Saudi Research and Media Group.
  58. ^ Bissell, Tim. "'Pro Palestine, without being antisemitic'; Badr Hari, Belal Muhammad speak out about ethnic cleansing in Palestine". Bloody Elbow. SB Nation.
  59. ^ UFC’s Belal Muhammad says dad’s store was ‘looted and destroyed’ during George Floyd protests Mookie Alexander, MMA Fighting (June 2, 2020)
  60. ^ Calhoun, Curtis. "Belal Muhammad threw out the Cubs first pitch in his Crocs (Video)". Fansided. Minute Media.
  61. ^ Lee, Alexander K. (September 7, 2019). "Khabib Nurmagemodov leads quartet of UFC 242 performance bonuses". MMA Fighting. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  62. ^ "MMAjunkie's 'Fight of the Month' for January: A bloody barnburner". mmajunkie.com. February 1, 2019.
  63. ^ Sherdog.com. "Belal". Sherdog. Retrieved November 17, 2019.

External links[]

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