Belal Muhammad
Belal Muhammad | |
---|---|
Born | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | July 9, 1988
Nickname | Remember the Name |
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
Division | Welterweight |
Reach | 72 in (183 cm)[1] |
Fighting out of | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Team | Roufusport (2013–present)[2] Chicago Fight Team (2010–present)[3] Valle Flow Striking |
Rank | Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1] |
Years active | 2012–present |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 28 |
Wins | 24 |
By knockout | 5 |
By submission | 1 |
By decision | 18 |
Losses | 3 |
By knockout | 1 |
By decision | 2 |
No contests | 1 |
Other information | |
University | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog |
Belal Muhammad (born July 9, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Welterweight Champion. As of September 17, 2024, he is #5 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.[4] A professional competitor since 2012, he has also competed for Bellator and Titan FC.
Background
Muhammad was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, to Palestinian parents.[5] He has four siblings: an older brother, older sister and two younger brothers.[6][7] He wrestled at Bogan High School where he had future PFL champion Louis Taylor as his wrestling coach. Taylor was later instrumental in training Muhammad for the latter's amateur career. He studied to become a lawyer [8] and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.[9]
Mixed martial arts career
Shortly after a TKO victory over Steve Carl to become the Titan Fighting Championships Welterweight Champion, and push his record to 9–0, Muhammad signed with the UFC in 2016.[10]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
On July 7, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 90, Muhammad made his UFC debut, as a short-notice replacement, against Alan Jouban.[11] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[12] Both participants were awarded Fight of the Night bonuses for their performances.[13]
Muhammad next faced Augusto Montaño on September 17, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 94.[14] He won the fight via TKO in the third round.[15]
Muhammad was expected to face Lyman Good on November 12, 2016, at UFC 205.[16] However, on October 24, Good was pulled from the card after being notified by USADA of a potential anti-doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition drug test sample collected ten days earlier.[17] He was replaced by Vicente Luque.[18] Muhammad lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[19]
Muhammad was a short notice replacement and stepped in to face Randy Brown on February 11, 2017, at UFC 208.[20] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[21]
Muhammad faced Jordan Mein on July 8, 2017, at UFC 213.[22] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[23]
Muhammad was expected to face Jesse Taylor on November 19, 2017, at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura.[24] However, on September 13, it was announced that Taylor was pulled from the card after being notified by USADA of a potential doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition drug test conducted on August 22.[25] He was replaced by Tim Means.[26] Muhammad won the fight via split decision.[27]
Muhammad was expected to face Niko Price on June 1, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 131.[28] However, Price was removed from the bout on May 22 for undisclosed reasons and replaced by promotional newcomer Chance Rencountre.[29] Muhammad won the fight via unanimous decision.[30]
Muhammad was scheduled to meet Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos on September 22, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 137.[31] However, on September 14, 2018, Muhammad was pulled from the bout and he was replaced by newcomer Luigi Vendramini.[32]
Muhammad faced Geoff Neal on January 19, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 143.[33] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[34]
Muhammad faced Curtis Millender on April 13, 2019, at UFC 236.[35] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[36]
Muhammad faced Takashi Sato on September 7, 2019, at UFC 242.[37] He won the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the third round.[38] This win earned Muhammad his first Performance of the Night award.[39]
Muhammad was expected to face Lyman Good on April 18, 2020, at UFC 249.[40] However on April 4, Good pulled out due to COVID-19 infection.[41][42] The bout was rebooked and eventually took place on June 20, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov.[43] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[44]
Muhammad was expected to face Sean Brady on December 19, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 183.[45] However in late October, Brady had a broken nose and had to pull out of their bout,[46] and he was replaced by Dhiego Lima.[47] Subsequently, Muhammed was diagnosed with COVID-19 during the week leading up to the event and the bout was scrapped from the card[48] and the bout was rescheduled to February 13, 2021, at UFC 258[49] Muhammad won the fight via unanimous decision.[50]
Muhammad faced Leon Edwards on March 13, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 187.[51] During the second round, Edwards poked Muhammad in the eye rendering him unable to continue. The fight was declared a no contest.[52]
Muhammad faced Demian Maia on June 12, 2021, at UFC 263.[53] Muhammad won the fight via unanimous decision.[54]
Muhammad faced Stephen Thompson on December 18, 2021, at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus.[55] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[56]
Muhammad faced Vicente Luque in a rematch on April 16, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 34.[57] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[58]
Muhammad faced Sean Brady on October 22, 2022, at UFC 280.[59] He won the bout via TKO stoppage at the end of the second round.[60] UFC Hall of Famer and former UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was one of his cornermen for this fight.[61] He received his second Performance of the Night bonus.[62]
Muhammad faced Gilbert Burns on May 6, 2023, at UFC 288.[63] Muhammad won by unanimous decision.[64]
UFC Welterweight Champion
Muhammad faced Leon Edwards in a rematch, for the UFC Welterweight Championship on July 27, 2024, at UFC 304.[65] He won the fight and the title by unanimous decision.[66]
Muhammad was scheduled to make his first UFC Welterweight Championship defense against undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov on December 7, 2024 at UFC 310.[67] However, due to a bone infection in his foot, Muhammad was forced to withdraw and it is unknown whether or not Rakhmonov will remain on the card or if the bout will be moved to a later date.[68]
Professional grappling career
Muhammad was scheduled to compete against Tarek Suleiman in the no gi co-main event of ADXC 1 on October 20, 2023.[69] He withdrew from the match on short notice and was replaced by Marvin Vettori.[70]
Personal life
Muhammad is a Muslim,[71] and an outspoken supporter of Palestine.[72] He has denounced the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis showing support for Palestinians while also condemning antisemitism.[73][dead link]
On June 1, 2020, businesses owned by Muhammad's father and cousins in Chicago were looted and destroyed as a result of the George Floyd unrest.[74]
He threw the ceremonial first pitch for the Chicago Cubs on July 28, 2021.[75]
He represents Palestine.[76][77][78]
Championships and accomplishments
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Welterweight Championship (One time; current)
- First UFC champion of Palestine descent[76]
- Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Takashi Sato and Sean Brady[79][62]
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Alan Jouban[13]
- Most unanimous decision wins in UFC Welterweight division history (11)
- Tied (Rafael dos Anjos) for most unanimous decision wins in UFC history (11)
- Tied (Georges St-Pierre) for second most decision wins in UFC Welterweight division history (12)[80]
- Tied (Diego Sanchez, Georges St-Pierre, Rafael dos Anjos, Andrei Arlovski) for third most decision wins in UFC history (12)[81]
- Seventh highest decision wins-per-win percentage in UFC history (80.0%)
- Fourth highest takedown defense percentage in UFC Welterweight division history (89.4%)[80]
- Fifth most significant strikes landed in UFC Welterweight division history (1241)[80]
- Sixth most total strikes landed in UFC Welterweight division history (1965)[80]
- UFC Welterweight Championship (One time; current)
- Titan Fighting Championship
- Titan FC Welterweight Championship (One time)
- MMAjunkie.com
- 2019 January Fight of the Month vs. Geoff Neal[82]
Mixed martial arts record
28 matches | 24 wins | 3 losses |
By knockout | 5 | 1 |
By submission | 1 | 0 |
By decision | 18 | 2 |
No contests | 1 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 24–3 (1) | Leon Edwards | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 304 | July 27, 2024 | 5 | 5:00 | Manchester, England | Won the UFC Welterweight Championship. |
Win | 23–3 (1) | Gilbert Burns | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 288 | May 6, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | |
Win | 22–3 (1) | Sean Brady | TKO (punches) | UFC 280 | October 22, 2022 | 2 | 4:47 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Performance of the Night. |
Win | 21–3 (1) | Vicente Luque | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. Muhammad 2 | April 16, 2022 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Win | 20–3 (1) | Stephen Thompson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus | December 18, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Win | 19–3 (1) | Demian Maia | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 263 | June 12, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Glendale, Arizona, United States | |
NC | 18–3 (1) | Leon Edwards | NC (accidental eye poke) | UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad | March 13, 2021 | 2 | 0:18 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Accidental eye poke rendered Muhammad unable to continue. |
Win | 18–3 | Dhiego Lima | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 258 | February 13, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Win | 17–3 | Lyman Good | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov | June 20, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Win | 16–3 | Takashi Sato | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 242 | September 7, 2019 | 3 | 1:55 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Performance of the Night. |
Win | 15–3 | Curtis Millender | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 236 | April 13, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |
Loss | 14–3 | Geoff Neal | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw | January 19, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Brooklyn, New York, United States | |
Win | 14–2 | Chance Rencountre | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes | June 1, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Utica, New York, United States | |
Win | 13–2 | Tim Means | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura | November 19, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Sydney, Australia | |
Win | 12–2 | Jordan Mein | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 213 | July 8, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Win | 11–2 | Randy Brown | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 208 | February 11, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Brooklyn, New York, United States | |
Loss | 10–2 | Vicente Luque | KO (punches) | UFC 205 | November 12, 2016 | 1 | 1:19 | New York City, New York, United States | |
Win | 10–1 | Augusto Montaño | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson | September 17, 2016 | 3 | 4:19 | Hidalgo, Texas, United States | |
Loss | 9–1 | Alan Jouban | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Alvarez | July 7, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
Win | 9–0 | Steve Carl | TKO (punches) | Titan FC 38 | April 30, 2016 | 4 | 4:07 | Miami, Florida, United States | Won the inaugural Titan FC Welterweight Championship. |
Win | 8–0 | Zane Kamaka | Decision (unanimous) | Titan FC 35 | September 19, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Ridgefield, Washington, United States | |
Win | 7–0 | Keith Johnson | Decision (unanimous) | Titan FC 33 | March 20, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Mobile, Alabama, United States | Catchweight (174 lb) bout; Johnson missed weight. |
Win | 6–0 | Chris Curtis | Decision (unanimous) | Hoosier Fight Club 21 | September 13, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Valparaiso, Indiana, United States | |
Win | 5–0 | A.J. Matthews | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 112 | March 14, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Hammond, Indiana, United States | |
Win | 4–0 | Garrett Gross | Decision (unanimous) | Hoosier Fight Club 18 | November 9, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Valparaiso, Indiana, United States | |
Win | 3–0 | Jimmy Fritz | TKO (punches) | Hoosier Fight Club 15 | April 6, 2013 | 2 | 2:19 | Valparaiso, Indiana, United States | |
Win | 2–0 | Quinton McCottrell | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 84 | December 14, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Hammond, Indiana, United States | |
Win | 1–0 | Justin Brock | TKO (punches) | Hoosier Fight Club 12 | August 18, 2012 | 1 | 2:17 | Valparaiso, Indiana, United States | Welterweight debut. |
Pay-per-view bouts
No. | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV buys |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | UFC 304 | Edwards vs. Muhammad 2 | July 27, 2024 | Co-op Live | Manchester, England, United Kingdom | Not Disclosed[84] |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Belal Muhammad | UFC". UFC.com. September 14, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ Tim Thompson (August 30, 2016). "Exclusive Interview With UFC Welterweight Contender Belal Muhammad". Mma News | Ufc News, Results & Interviews.
- ^ Danny Doherty (September 15, 2016). "UFC Hidalgo: Belal Muhammad Looking for More Bonus Money". cagepages.com.
- ^ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ Hannoun, Farah (September 3, 2019). "Fighting, faith and family: Belal Muhammad proud to represent ahead of UFC 242". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ Steven Marrocco (January 9, 2021). "Belal Muhammad aiming for breakthrough 2021: 'I belong fighting these top-tier guys'". mmafighting.com.
- ^ Brendan Schaub (June 14, 2022). "Belal Muhammad | Food Truck Diaries w/ Brendan Schaub" (Podcast).
- ^ "JRE MMA Show #162 with Belal Muhammad". September 6, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Raimondi, Marc (November 12, 2016). "Muhammad embracing idea of being Muslim role model". MMA Fighting. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ Zane Simon (May 27, 2016). "Welcome to the UFC, Belal Muhammad". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
- ^ Tristen Critchfield (June 8, 2016). "Alan Jouban gets new opponent Belal Muhammad for UFC Fight Night on July 7". sherdog.com. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
- ^ Brent Brookhouse (July 7, 2016). "UFC Fight Night 90 results: Alan Jouban outworks gutsy Belal Muhammad for decision win". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ^ a b Tristen Critchfield (July 7, 2016). "UFC Fight Night bonuses: Alvarez, Jouban, Muhammad, Munhoz collect $50K". sherdog.com. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ^ Staff (July 21, 2016). "Augusto Montano vs. Belal Muhammad added to UFC Fight Night 94 in Texas". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ Ben Fowlkes (September 17, 2016). "UFC Fight Night 94 results: Belal Muhammad drops hands on Augusto Montano for late stoppage". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ Shaun Al-Shatti (September 23, 2016). "Belal Muhammad gets quick turnaround, fights Lyman Good at UFC 205". mmafighting.com. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Staff (October 24, 2016). "Lyman Good receives USADA notice, pulled from UFC 205". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ^ Jesse Holland (October 25, 2016). "Vicente Luque has Good reason to face Belal Muhammad at UFC 205". mmamania.com. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^ Steven Marrocco (November 12, 2016). "UFC 205 results: Vicente Luque ends Belal Muhammad's night in 79 seconds with vicious KO". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
- ^ Staff (February 4, 2017). "With Sullivan out, Randy Brown now meets Belal Muhammad at UFC 208 in Brooklyn". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ^ Ben Fowlkes (February 11, 2017). "UFC 208 results: Belal Muhammad cruises past New York's Randy Brown for decision win". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
- ^ Daniel Austin (May 25, 2017). "Lethbridge fighter Jordan Mein to battle Belal Muhammad in UFC 213". calgaryherald.com. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
- ^ "UFC 213 results: Belal Muhammad soundly defeats Jordan Mein by unanimous decision". MMAjunkie. July 9, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^ Staff (August 17, 2017). "Belal Muhammad says he's fighting Jesse Taylor at UFC Fight Night 121 in Australia". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ Tristen Critchfield (September 13, 2017). "'TUF 25' winner Jesse Taylor facing anti-doping violation, removed from UFC Fight Night 121". sherdog.com. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
- ^ Shawn Bitter (October 11, 2017). "Tim Means vs. Belal Muhammad in the works for UFC Sydney". mma-today.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night 121 results: Belal Muhammad takes split from Tim Means, calls out Colby Covington". MMAjunkie. November 19, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ^ Staff (April 11, 2018). "UFC Fight Night 131 in Utica gets two new bouts". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
- ^ Staff (May 22, 2018). "Belal Muhammad gets new opponent for UFC Fight Night 131 in Utica". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night 131 results: Belal Muhammad makes easy work of Chance Rencountre". MMAjunkie. June 2, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
- ^ "Belal Muhammad vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos added to UFC Fight Night 137 in Brazil". MMAjunkie. July 13, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ^ "Undefeated newcomer Luigi Vendramini replaces Belal Muhammad at UFC Sao Paulo". MMA Fighting. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- ^ Mark La Monica (November 6, 2018). "UFC on ESPN+ in Brooklyn gets its first scheduled bout". newsday.com. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
- ^ Dave Doyle (January 19, 2019). "UFC Brooklyn results: Geoff Neal scores impressive win over Belal Muhammad". mmafighting.com. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^ Marcel Dorff (March 15, 2019). "Snelle terugkeer voor Curtis Millender tegen Belal Muhammad tijdens UFC 236 in Atlanta" (in Dutch). Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ "UFC 236 results: Belal Muhammad relentless pressure too much for Curtis Millender". MMA Junkie. April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- ^ Marcel Dorff (May 13, 2019). "Belal Muhammad vs. Takashi Sato eerste gevecht voor UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi" (in Dutch). Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (September 7, 2019). "UFC 242 Results: Belal Muhammad Wraps Up Win Over Takeshi Sato With Third-Round Submission". Cageside Press. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ Lee, Alexander K. (September 7, 2019). "Khabib Nurmagemodov leads quartet of UFC 242 performance bonuses". MMA Fighting. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ Mark La Monica (February 12, 2020). "UFC 249: Lyman Good vs. Belal Muhammad set for welterweight bout at Barclays Center". newsday.com. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- ^ Marrocco, Steven (April 20, 2020). "Lyman Good admits positive test for COVID-19, says he's healthy now and wants to fight". MMA Fighting. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Danny Segura (April 4, 2020). "Lyman Good out of UFC 249 bout with Belal Muhammad due to injury". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ Farah Hannoun (May 22, 2020). "Lyman Good to face Belal Muhammad in first UFC fight since coronavirus infection". mmajunkie.com.
- ^ Jay Anderson (June 21, 2020). "UFC on ESPN 11 Results: Belal Muhammad Bloodied, But Gets By Lyman Good". Cageside Press. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ Farah Hannoun (October 7, 2020). "Belal Muhammad vs. Sean Brady added to UFC's Dec. 19 event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ Farah Hannoun (October 30, 2020). "Belal Muhammad says Sean Brady is out of their fight, wants Mike Perry as a replacement". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ^ Jamal Boussenaf (November 16, 2020). "Dhiego Lima vervangt uitgevallen Sean Brady tegen Belal Muhammad". MMA DNA (in Dutch). Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ Staff (December 15, 2020). "COVID-19 takes Belal Muhammad out of Dhiego Lima bout at UFC Fight Night 183". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ Heck, Mike (January 8, 2021). "Belal Muhammad vs. Dhiego Lima rebooked for UFC 258". MMA Fighting. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ Vreeland, Daniel (February 13, 2021). "UFC 258 Results: Belal Muhammad Backs Up and Batters Dhiego Lima". Cageside Press. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- ^ Nolan King and Farah Hannoun (February 18, 2021). "Belal Muhammad steps up, agrees to Leon Edwards fight for UFC main event on March 13". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ Doherty, Dan (March 13, 2021). "UFC Vegas 21 Results: Accidental Eye Poke Ends Main Event". Cageside Press. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ Damon Martin; Mike Heck (April 4, 2021). "Demian Maia to face Belal Muhammad at UFC 263". MMA FIGHTING. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ Vreeland, Daniel (June 12, 2021). "UFC 263 Results: Belal Muhammad Stuffs Demian Maia's Takedowns, Wins Decision". Cageside Press. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- ^ Jay Pettry (November 11, 2021). "Stephen Thompson-Belal Muhammad welterweight battle set for UFC Fight Night 199". Sherdog. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (December 18, 2021). "UFC Vegas 45: Belal Muhammad Out-Grapples Stephen Thompson for Decision Win". Cageside Press. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ Martin, Damon (January 25, 2022). "Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad 2 headlines UFC event on April 16". MMA Fighting. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (April 17, 2022). "UFC Vegas 51: Belal Muhammad's Wrestling, Movement Key in Win Over Vicente Luque". Cageside Press. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
- ^ Bohn, Mike (July 8, 2022). "Undefeated Sean Brady gets wish, meets Belal Muhammad in UFC's Abu Dhabi return Oct. 22". MMA Junkie. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (October 22, 2022). "UFC 280: Belal Muhammad Becomes First to Beat, Stop Sean Brady". Cageside Press. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
- ^ Hannoun, Farah (October 1, 2022). "Belal Muhammad says Khabib Nurmagomedov will corner him at UFC 280". MMAjunkie. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
- ^ a b Staff (October 22, 2022). "UFC 280 bonuses: The Sean O'Malley-Petr Yan banger was a $50,000 no-brainer". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ Bohn, Mike (April 20, 2023). "UFC 288 adds Gilbert Burns vs. Belal Muhammad as short notice five-round co-headliner". MMA Junkie. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
- ^ Rush, Dylan (May 7, 2023). "UFC 288: Belal Muhammad Earns Decision, Title Shot Against Injured Gilbert Burns". Cageside Press. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "UFC 304 official with Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad headliner and more in Manchester". MMA Junkie. May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ Jay Anderson (July 28, 2024). "UFC 304: Belal Muhammad Survives Late Surge, Claims Gold from Leon Edwards". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ Nick Baldwin (October 12, 2024). "Muhammad-Rakhmonov, Pantoja-Asakura set for UFC 310". thescore.com. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
- ^ Mike Heck (October 31, 2024). "Belal Muhammad out of UFC 310 main event vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov". mmafighting.com. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Blackett, Todd (September 28, 2023). "Belal Muhammad Set To Compete In ADXC 1 Co-Main Event". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ Jones, Phil (October 14, 2023). "Marvin Vettori Replaces Belal Muhammad At ADXC 1". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
- ^ "Belal Muhammad On Fighting During Ramadan, Representing 'Real Muslims' - FloCombat". www.flocombat.com. May 31, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- ^ Khaled, Ali (June 7, 2021). "Belal Muhammad proud to display Palestinian roots in bid to upset Demian Maia at UFC". Arab News. Saudi Research and Media Group.
- ^ Bissell, Tim (May 19, 2021). "'Pro Palestine, without being antisemitic'; Badr Hari, Belal Muhammad speak out about ethnic cleansing in Palestine". Bloody Elbow. SB Nation.
- ^ "UFC's Belal Muhammad says dad's store was 'looted and destroyed' during George Floyd protests". bloodyelbow.com. June 2, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
- ^ Calhoun, Curtis (October 18, 2023). "Belal Muhammad threw out the Cubs first pitch in his Crocs (Video)". Fansided. Minute Media.
- ^ a b Sammy Baroud (July 28, 2024). "'For Palestine' – Belal Muhammad Becomes First Palestinian to be Undisputed UFC Champion". palestinechronicle.com. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ Online Desk (July 28, 2024). "For my people in Palestine... fighting the real fight: Belal Muhammad, first Palestinian to win UFC title". newindianexpress.com. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ News Desk (July 28, 2024). "Gaza wins: Belal Muhammad becomes first Palestinian fighter to win UFC title". thecurrent.pk. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ Lee, Alexander K. (September 7, 2019). "Khabib Nurmagemodov leads quartet of UFC 242 performance bonuses". MMA Fighting. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ a b c d UFC (July 27, 2024). "UFC Stats - Welterweight Division". ufc.com.
- ^ UFC (July 27, 2024). "UFC Stats - All Fighters". ufc.com.
- ^ "MMAjunkie's 'Fight of the Month' for January: A bloody barnburner". mmajunkie.com. February 1, 2019.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Belal". Sherdog. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
- ^ "UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad 2 | MMA Event". Tapology.