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Belal Muhammad aims to become UFC’s next Alex Pereira after UFC 315

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated May 8, 2025 2:58 PM ET

It's no secret that Belal Muhammad is one of the least popular UFC champions right now.

'Remember The Name' had a steady rise to the top, staying undefeated in ten contests before defeating Leon Edwards at UFC 304 to take the belt. Despite dominating top competition in Stephen Thompson, Gilbert Burns, and Vicente Luque, Muhammad has failed to gain fanfare.

He plans to change all this after fighting Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315...

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Belal Muhammad wants to become 'Alex Pereira Jr.', prove value to UFC with championship activity

Speaking with former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson on YouTube, Muhammad explained exactly how he'll gain favor with the UFC.

"Once I got the title, I'm like, 'Let's do a quick turnaround...' . . . I was ready to fight Shavkat [Rakhmonov], then we caught the injury," Muhammad explained. ". . . For myself, it's like, let's get as many as possible. I wanna be an active champion.

". . . I wanna be that guy where the UFC can count on me and look at me and be like, 'We got [Alex] Pereira Jr. right here, let's just hit him up...'"

Muhammad's recent career has taken a noticeable downturn. He's fought twice since 2022, owing to injuries and time spent waiting for a title shot. He fought four times in 2021, which is on par with the level of activity that saw Pereira's meteoric rise.

First of all, he has to get through Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315.

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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