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5 Things You Need to Know About Belal Muhammad

Published 03/13/2021, 6:10 AM EST

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Belal Muhammad gears up to fight in his first UFC main event on Saturday night against a durable top contender. Chiefly, ‘Remember the Name’ Muhammad takes on number three ranked Leon Edwards with the hope to jump up the rankings. He’s currently ranked outside the top 10 and will be looking to make a quick leap into the crowded title picture.

Fans have come to know and love Belal Muhammad for his affable nature and entertaining personality on the mic. The 18-3 fighter has slowly begun showing more nuanced facets to his personality, and fans have taken to him well.

Let’s take a look at some interesting facts to get to know the latest UFC headliner a little better.

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Khamzat Chimaev Sends a Surprise Call-Out for His Next Welterweight Opponent

1: He’s been a welterweight champion before

Fans may not know that Belal Muhammad started off his MMA career prior to the UFC with a 9-0 record. Just before joining the UFC, he captured a welterweight world title from a major organization known as Titan FC. The victory came back in April 2016 at Titan FC 38, where he defeated Steve Carl via TKO in round 4.

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2: He’s an expert point fighter

Belal Muhammad is adept at stretching out a fight and making sure that his opponents play along to his own beat. Chiefly, 72% of his pro MMA wins have come by the way of either a unanimous or split decision. He has only one submission in his 21-fight pro career and 4 T/KO’s amounting to 22% of his win rate.

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Being a skilled point fighter is an art form in itself, and he’ll have the perfect dance partner in Leon Edwards on Fight Night. Furthermore, the divisional champion Kamaru Usman has accrued quite a reputation for wading in deep waters for five rounds. While earning the early finish is always nice, Belal Muhammad knows how to play the long game to his advantage, and it shows on his resume.

3: His Father’s Cell phone store was destroyed during the protests

Muhammad’s father’s cell phone store in Chicago was vandalized and destroyed in June 2020. Chiefly, the UFC fighter took to social media and revealed that the store was a source of income for over 15 years. However, with the addition of COVID-19 slowing down business, Belal Muhammad’s father had no choice but to shut down the store.

4: He has a well-received podcast co-starring Jon Anik’s brother

The famed ‘Anik and Florian’ podcast starring Jon Anik and Kenny Florian now have competition that hits close to him. Belal Muhammad and Jon Anik’s brother, Jason Anik, took to the airways with a podcast called ‘Remember the Show’. They have featured several famous guests, including Henry Cejudo and Kelvin Gastelum in the short period of time that they’ve been on the air.

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5: He’s hilarious on social media

The 32-year-old welterweight began breaking away from his counterparts, much in part due to his strong presence on social media. He has managed to come up with original concepts in a short video format that has entertained fans. It’s well known that in order to move forward in the fight game, fans need to get to know a fighter’s personality behind the scenes.

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Muhammad has clearly exceeded expectations in this regard.

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Written by:

Darryl Pinto

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Darryl Pinto is a senior MMA writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree in Mass Media (with a specialization in Journalism) out of Xavier’s College and has a year's experience in his current role. Darryl specializes in predictions, reporting, and covering UFC events live.
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