Is Belal Muhammad Underappreciated?

Belal Muhammad does not have the best reputation in the UFC despite his impressive career. 

Muhammad solidified his name with a dominant victory against Leon Edwards at UFC 304 via a unanimous decision. The win secured him the welterweight title, as his career seemed ready to skyrocket. The win also followed victories against a whole host of names. Wins over Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson, Vicente Luque, Sean Brady, Gilbert Burns and Edwards made him one of the best P4P fighters in the world.

Belal amassed an 11-fight unbeaten record, having not lost since a 2019 loss to Geoff Neal. However, he came up short in his last fight. Muhammad saw his eleven-fight unbeaten streak come to an end at UFC 315, where he also lost his welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena. 

Perception

Belal, however, has also not helped himself. He has been criticised for having a boring style. His wrestling-heavy, decision-oriented approach has resulted in backlash from fans and UFC fighters, namely Conor McGregor. His 2021 no-contest fight against Leon Edwards also drew criticism after it was stopped due to an accidental eye poke from Leon. Belal was accused of overreacting even if there was damage.

There is also a perception that Belal isn’t a significant “draw” for the UFC. Despite his dominance, fighters such as Alex Pereira have a much broader commercial appeal. Belal now has some serious thinking to do. With Della Maddalena expected to face Islam Makhachev next, it seems like Belal wants Kamaru Usman. Usman made a triumphant return to the welterweight division with a win over Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta. Following his victory, Usman said he expects to fight for the title in the future, dismissing the possibility of a fight with Muhammad. However, Belal remains keen on the bout.

“What I see, what I want, I wanted him to get on the mic and call me out. I think that’s the next one that makes sense. That’s the only fight that makes sense. If you’re talking about the division, we have history. We’ve been going back and forth. It’s a clear No. 1 contender fight. He’s calling for the belt, 185, 170, but I’m No. 1. I’m still the guy at the top,” Belal said