In the aftermath of the UFC 315 main event, the favorite to win the bout, Belal Muhammad, was left battered by the Aussie and the underdog, Jack Della Maddalena. Leading to their bout, Muhammad declared, “I’m gonna go in there, I’m gonna outbox Jack. I’m not gonna shoot one takedown, and I’m gonna show him the meaning of Canelo hands.” This strategy played in favor of Maddalena, who is considered one of the best boxers in the promotion.

The intense wrestling-based fighter failed to take down Jack and had to trade blows instead. Belal’s welterweight run ended abruptly, marking what could have been his first title defense. His determination to keep fighting and stand firm in the face of adversity led many to ‘Remember The Name’. The Arab-American fighter, despite the loss, captured hearts and earned respect that day; even veterans applauded his efforts.

One of these veterans is the UFC Hall of Famer and the former middleweight champion, Michael Bisping. While talking about Muhammad’s loss to Maddalena, Bisping couldn’t hold back from being impressed by ‘Bully B’. The fighter known for his monotonous and ‘boring’ fighting style, in ‘The Count’s words, delivered a war. And he isn’t lying, after all, both the fighters did earn a standing ovation once the dust settled.

Michael Bisping said, “As a fighter as well, it makes it the loss kind of easier to swallow, you know. And maybe Belal doesn’t necessarily realize that. That’s what he’s doing. But you say, hey listen, I went out there, I stood with him, I said what I was going to do, I went toe-to-toe, I didn’t really try and wrestle him. You know, he did! But Jack was just better on the night. That’s fine, and subconsciously, you kind of formulate this narrative in your own mind.”

He further added, “Well, I went off the game plan. I don’t think it’s consciously going out there and trying to sell the world a lie. It’s just how you deal with it internally as a fighter. You’re like, sh** well, I did stand there, I did trade, I did go. And he did go to war. And it was a fantastic fight. So, regardless, you know the man should be proud of himself.”

So, do you side with Bisping on this? Was Belal Muhammad’s performance good enough to be applauded even in defeat? He was dominated on the feet, and even his wrestling was neutralized. Yet he never looked down and out of the fight. He always wanted to give a big reply.

Despite earning the respect of the MMA community, Belal took his time to assess what went down in his UFC 315 loss. After his 25-minute war with Maddalena, Muhammad expressed his regrets about the fight and revealed where he had come short.

Belal Muhammad reveals his regrets from his UFC 315 loss to Jack Della Maddalena

After his loss to Maddalena, ‘Bully B’ revealed that he only had himself to blame for the defeat. Showing responsibility in adversity, Belal didn’t even pay attention to the critics and fans alike, turning them into his admirers. With nothing but focus on the path ahead, Muhammad thanked his team and shared the place where he thought he lost the fight.

Muhammad said, “I think I have the best team in the world, some of the best coaches in the world, and we go into every fight with a strategy and idea of what we want to do. Obviously, for us, what our strategy was was to take down Jack. It wasn’t to go blow-for-blow with him, brawl-for-brawl with him.” 

He further added, “It’s a weird moment when you’re training something so much and you’re getting better at something, which I think my striking has grown so much and I’ve always said it. When I said that in the lead-up, I wasn’t lying about it. ‘Bro, I can box with him, I can strike with him. I’m not afraid to strike with him.’ And I went out there and I just felt good. But it came down to one round, maybe one exchange that could’ve swayed the judges one way, so was my game plan wrong? I could’ve went the other way. Could it have been an easier fight? It could’ve, but at the end of the day, I love to fight.”

Belal Muhammad aims to enhance his striking skills despite facing loss and adversity. ‘Bully B’ remains determined on his journey back to the 170-pound title, refusing to back down from any legacy fights. He aims to continue fighting and stay at the top of the division. Despite his mistakes in the fight with Maddalena, ‘Remember The Name’ focuses on growth and improvement, a skill Belal excels at mastering. Can his intensity and evolving skills challenge the current welterweight division? What’s your take? Share your thoughts in the comments.