As UFC 315 draws near, Belal Muhammad’s long-awaited return to the Octagon has taken on a far more dramatic tone—and surprisingly, it has little to do with his opponent, Jack Della Maddalena. ‘Remember the Name’ was initially scheduled to take on Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 for his first title defense. However, he had to pull out of the fight due to a bone infection. Now, a shocking new detail has just come to light about the injury. Chael Sonnen recently took to his YouTube channel and dropped a bombshell about the injury. The 36-year-old didn’t just suffer from just any infection—he nearly lost his life.
According to Sonnen, ‘Bully B’ was in a life-threatening battle with a serious toe infection. What was supposed to be a minor setback turned into a terrifying fight for survival, putting Muhammad’s entire career—and possibly more—on the line. The root of Belal Muhammad’s health scare was a broken toe that had been troubling him for nearly a year.
Back in November, Dr. Yared Vazquez, a specialist in internal medicine, revealed the grim details: Muhammad had developed osteomyelitis, a severe and potentially life-threatening bone infection. The diagnosis landed him in the hospital and forced him to undergo an aggressive six-week course of intravenous antibiotics. At one point, Belal Muhammad was so desperate to return to action that he actually considered having the infected toe amputated just to speed up his comeback.
The idea of sitting on the sidelines for longer was eating at him, but ultimately, cooler heads prevailed. After consulting with his doctors, Muhammad made the difficult but wise decision to hold off on such an extreme measure and follow their medical advice instead. According to ‘The American Gangster’, the first thing Muhammad did was attempt five push-ups after getting released from the hospital.
Sonnen, during his video on his YouTube channel, said, “When Belal was released from the hospital, he tried to do push-ups. That was the bar he set for himself, right?” Just five push-ups—that’s all he could manage after months of battling through serious medical complications. But to Chael Sonnen, that small, humble moment spoke volumes.
Sonnen then pointed out how tough it might be for the champion to defend his belt at the upcoming UFC 315 event. He further added, “Now he was in the hospital for a toe, and the toe was infected. And the infection almost killed him, but it was a toe nonetheless. So when I bought the five push-up scenario to Daniel Cormier, Daniel tells me, ‘Yes, Chael, but because it was his toe that hurts and for good form on a push-up, you must be on your toes. He must not have been able to dig in and get to position.’ And that may explain the five push-ups. And do you guys see anything here?”
Muhammad has indeed made a remarkable comeback after suffering from a devastating injury just a few months back. He is not only ready for the challenge ahead but is looking to prove to the world why he is the best in the division.
Belal Muhammad is walking into UFC 315 with a ‘hunter’ mentality
Belal has never been the flashiest name on the UFC roster. However, things changed when he earned his shot at Leon Edwards and the welterweight title, something shifted. He rose to the occasion—not just as a contender, but as the sharpest, most dangerous version of himself we’ve ever seen. His grappling, always solid, now came with a ruthless edge, a touch of calculated violence that hadn’t been there before.
It was clear he wasn’t just fighting to win—he was fighting to make a statement. And maybe, just maybe, that extra fire was fueled by the back-and-forth trash talk that lit up the build-up to the bout. Now that Belal Muhammad holds the welterweight crown, some expect a change in his mindset.
But the Palestinian-American champion has made it clear: the belt hasn’t dulled his edge one bit. If anything, it’s sharpened it. Muhammad isn’t settling into the role of a cautious champion—he’s still the hunter, and he’s coming with the same fire that got him here. While speaking to TNT Sport’s Adam Catterall and Nick Peet, he gave an insight into his mindset walking into the clash.
He said, “For me, my mentality is still to be the hunter, right? I still wanna be that guy, still want to have that chip on my shoulder. I’m always that guy who’s always after a fight, what’s next? Who’s next? So, I had to keep that same mind. Even with the belt, I don’t this as defending the belt. I see this like I’m fighting for the belt. I need to win another belt.”
Will the champion be able to defend his belt at UFC 315? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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