Belal Muhammad, the UFC welterweight champion, continues to draw criticism for his fighting style. While he’s been running the division with consistent wins, many fans and fighters feel he doesn’t always deliver the fireworks they expect. On a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan and Ilia Topuria discussed fighters like Michael Chandler, who are known for their aggressive, crowd-pleasing approach. The UFC commentator contrasted that with a more measured style, saying, “To not be as entertaining and just be better. And shut people down.” Topuria responded with a jab of his own: “At the same time, you don’t have to be Belal, right?” Followed by a moment of silence, Rogan agreed, “Right. I see what you’re saying.”
Throughout his career, ‘Remember The Name’ has dealt with his fair share of critics. But that’s nothing new for dominant champions. When you build a 10-fight win streak in elite grappling, people are going to talk, sometimes not in your favor. UFC legend Georges St-Pierre also caught heat for being “boring,” despite outclassing opponents at every turn. The criticism wasn’t about effectiveness, it was about his grappling-heavy style and penchant for decision wins.
Out of many voices, Matt Hughes didn’t hold back after ‘Rush’s performance in the rematch against Josh Koscheck at UFC 124. He wrote on hs website, “I’m going to say this, even though I’m going to piss a bunch of people off. To me, the GSP fight was boring, and I’m even going to tell you why I think it was boring.” This has been a trend from the starting days of MMA, and it’s not going to change anytime soon!
At UFC 315, Jack Della Maddalena is all set to face Muhammad in the Montreal PPV headliner. The Aussie title challenger believes the current 170lbs champion is going through the same situation, just like St-Pierre. Della Maddalena also recognizes that Muhammad doesn’t possess a captivating style of fighting, but also respects his ability to win fights using his skillset. However, he is also confident that the welterweight belt is coming to Australia, after he saw fellow countryman Alexander Volkanovski lifting the featherweight belt for the second time.
During an appearance on the Grin Reapers podcast, the Aussie said, “Yeah, he’s not the most exciting guy. But he’s good at winning. A lot of the people who are good at winning are not always the most exciting people. Like a GSP, like he coped a bit back in the day. Like people would say, ‘He’s a bit boring.’ Once the career is done, you look back, oh. Yeah, Belal is good at winning, but I think he’s there; he has shown that he can be beaten. I think I will get him. I think it will be a nice month for Australian MMA, or the last four weeks, as you know. Two belts!”
February 26, 2025, Montreal, Pq, CANADA: UFC 315 welterweight champion Belal Muhammad speaks during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz to announce his upcoming fight against Jack Della Maddalena in Montreal on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. Canada News – February 26, 2025 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY – ZUMAc35_ 20250226_zaf_c35_046 Copyright: xChristinnexMuschix
Yes, Belal Muhammad is definitely known for his wrestling. And that has been a big reason for his immense success inside the Octagon. He landed a staggering 9 takedowns out of 13 attempted against Leon Edwards at UFC 304. People do remember this. However, Belal didn’t shoot a single takedown against Gilbert Burns and even finished Sean Brady in their outing, proving to us that he can win without using his biggest weapon.
‘Remember The Name’ is no doubt the master of controlling opponents on the ground. His attempts are suffocating as his adversaries don’t find many ways to get up. What’s even more telling? Khabib Nurmagomedov has time and again praised Belal’s ability to be the best in the present, and he’s not shying away from making us aware of this fact once again.
Khabib Nurmagomedov praised Belal Muhammad’s ability to be the best
Belal Muhammad has never shied away from giving credit where it’s due, especially when it comes to former UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov. He’s repeatedly praised Khabib for helping sharpen his game like never before. The Dagestani crew was in his corner while he was prepping for his breakout fight against Sean Brady at UFC 280, who had recently taken out Leon Edwards in UFC London’s main event. Since then, their bond has only grown stronger. Bully B has become a respected member of Khabib’s tight-knit circle. And ‘The Eagle’ has made it clear, he has been watching Muhammad closely and continues to back him publicly.
The Hall of Famer believes the current welterweight champ is a problem for anyone in the division, so long as he doesn’t get caught early, he’s a nightmare to deal with. During an interview with Adam Zubayraev, Khabib said, “I believe it will be very hard to beat Belal. If Maddalena or Shavkat don’t finish him early, Belal is just going to keep pressing. His endurance is really good. In fact, I think it’s the most underrated aspect in MMA today.”
The 29-0 legend has nailed this point. Belal Muhammad’s cardio and endurance have to be at the top of the list. If it doesn’t top Merab Dvalishvili, the second place might be a good spot to elucidate his capabilities in terms of stamina. But can he use that against a sniper like Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315? Please comment below.
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