Belal Muhammad is a well-known American mixed martial artist. He began his professional career in promotions such as Titan FC and Bellator. Muhammad reached his greatest heights in the UFC, where he held the welterweight championship title. Belal ranks first in the UFC rankings in his division and twelfth in the rankings of fighters regardless of weight class.
Early years and family
Belal Muhammad was born on 9 July 1988 in Chicago, Illinois, to Palestinian immigrants. He became interested in wrestling while still in school and later continued to develop his skills at the University of Illinois, where he also studied law. However, his passion for martial arts prevailed, and instead of a career in law, he chose the octagon.
The beginning of his MMA career
Belal Muhammad began his professional career in 2012 with the Hoosier Fight Club promotion. In his debut fight, he knocked out Justin Brock. In the same year, he successfully competed in Bellator, defeating Quinton McCortell by unanimous decision.
Between 2013 and 2015, Muhammad had a series of successful performances in the HFC, Bellator and Titan FC promotions, where he won eight victories.
In April 2016, he won the Titan FC championship belt by defeating Steve Carl by technical knockout. After this victory, Belal signed a contract with the UFC.
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The road to the UFC: best fights and opponents
Belal made his UFC debut in the summer of 2016 at UFC Fight Night 90, which took place in Las Vegas on 7 July. He was set to fight the experienced Alan Juban. Belal accepted this fight on short notice, replacing the injured Nordin Taleb.
The fight began with aggressive attacks from Juban, who relied on his striking technique. Muhammad responded with competent defence and precise counterattacks.
In the second and third rounds, the intensity of the fight increased. The fighters exchanged blows, maintaining a high tempo throughout. Although the fight ended with a unanimous decision in favour of Juban, both fighters received the ‘Fight of the Night’ award.
The defeat in his debut did not break Belal. Two months later, he returned to the cage to prove himself in a fight against Augusto Montano. The fight took place at UFC Fight Night 94.
From the very first seconds, it was clear that Belal had learned from his first fight. He controlled the distance, used the clinch and confidently destroyed his opponent’s defence with side kicks to the body. In the third round, thanks to his pressure, Belal brought the fight to a technical knockout.
After defeating Montano, Belal Muhammad was supposed to face Lyman Good at UFC 205. However, the fight did not take place because Good was disqualified due to a positive doping test.
Instead, Muhammad was offered a fight with Vicente Luque, a well-known knockout artist. This fight took place on 12 November 2016. Luque proved to be a serious test for Belal. In the first round, he knocked Muhammad out, winning by early victory. This was Belal’s second defeat in the UFC.