Belal Muhammad (fighter)

Belal Muhammad (Arabic: بلال محمد‎;[3] born July 9, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competing in the UFC Welterweight division. A professional since 2012, he has also competed for Bellator and Titan FC. As of November 16, 2020, he is #13 in the UFC welterweight rankings.[4]

For the Bangladesh independence activist, see Belal Muhammad.
Belal Muhammad
BornBelal Muhammad
(1988-07-09) July 9, 1988
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Other namesRemember the Name
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight170 lb (77 kg; 12 st)
DivisionWelterweight
Reach72 in (183 cm)[1]
Fighting out ofChicago, Illinois, United States
TeamRoufusport
Chicago Fight Team
RankPurple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Daniel Wanderley[2]
Years active2012–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total20
Wins17
By knockout4
By submission1
By decision12
Losses3
By knockout1
By decision2
UniversityUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Background

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, to Palestinian parents.[5]

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.[6]

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.[7] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[8] Both participants were awarded Fight of the Night honors for their performances.[9]

Muhammad next faced Augusto Montaño on September 17, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 94.[10] He won the fight via TKO in the third round.[11]

Muhammad was expected to face Lyman Good on November 12, 2016 at UFC 205.[12] 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.[13] He was replaced by Vicente Luque.[14] Muhammad lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[15]

Muhammad was a short notice replacement and stepped in to face Randy Brown on February 11, 2017 at UFC 208.[16] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[17]

Muhammad faced Jordan Mein on July 8, 2017 at UFC 213.[18] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[19]

Muhammad was expected to face Jesse Taylor on November 19, 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura.[20] 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.[21] He was replaced by Tim Means.[22] Muhammad won the fight via split decision.[23]

Muhammad was expected to face Niko Price on June 1, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 131.[24] However, Price was removed from the bout on May 22 for undisclosed reasons and replaced by promotional newcomer Chance Rencountre.[25] Muhammad won the fight via unanimous decision.[26]

Muhammad was scheduled to meet Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos on September 22, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 137.[27] However, on September 14, 2018 Muhammad was pulled from the bout and he was replaced by newcomer Luigi Vendramini.[28]

Muhammad faced Geoff Neal on January 19, 2019 at UFC Fight Night 143.[29] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[30]

Muhammad faced Curtis Millender on April 13, 2019 at UFC 236.[31] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[32]

Muhammad faced Takashi Sato on September 7, 2019 at UFC 242.[33] He won the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the third round.[34] This win earned Muhammad his first Performance of the Night award.[35]

Muhammad was expected to face Lyman Good on April 18, 2020 at UFC 249.[36] However on April 4, Good pulled out due to COVID-19 infection.[37][38] The bout was rebooked and eventually took place on June 20, 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov.[39] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[40]

Muhammad was expected to face Sean Brady on December 19, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 183.[41] However in late October, Brady had a broken nose and had to pull out of their bout,[42] and he was replaced by Dhiego Lima.[43] Subsequently, Muhammed was diagnosed with COVID-19 during the week leading up to the event and the bout was scrapped from the card[44] and the bout was rescheduled to February 13, 2021 at UFC 258 [45]

Personal life

Muhammad is a devout Muslim.[46]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
20 matches 17 wins 3 losses
By knockout 4 1
By submission 1 0
By decision 12 2
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
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 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.

[49]

See also

References
  1. "Belal Muhammad - Official UFC Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  2. Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) (May 24, 2017). ""(...) I was promoted to purple belt today!!!! (...)"". Instagram. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  3. https://ar.arabsmma.com/بلال-محمد-مقاتل-ufc-يأمل-أن-يعطي-صورة-إيجا/
  4. "Rankings | UFC". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  5. https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2019/09/ufc-242-belal-muhammad-fighting-faith-family
  6. Zane Simon (2016-05-27). "Welcome to the UFC, Belal Muhammad". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
  7. Tristen Critchfield (2016-06-08). "Alan Jouban gets new opponent Belal Muhammad for UFC Fight Night on July 7". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  8. Brent Brookhouse (2016-07-07). "UFC Fight Night 90 results: Alan Jouban outworks gutsy Belal Muhammad for decision win". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  9. Tristen Critchfield (2016-07-07). "UFC Fight Night bonuses: Alvarez, Jouban, Muhammad, Munhoz collect $50K". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
  10. Staff (2016-07-21). "Augusto Montano vs. Belal Muhammad added to UFC Fight Night 94 in Texas". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  11. Ben Fowlkes (2016-09-17). "UFC Fight Night 94 results: Belal Muhammad drops hands on Augusto Montano for late stoppage". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  12. Shaun Al-Shatti (2016-09-23). "Belal Muhammad gets quick turnaround, fights Lyman Good at UFC 205". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2015-09-23.
  13. Staff (2016-10-24). "Lyman Good receives USADA notice, pulled from UFC 205". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  14. Jesse Holland (2016-10-25). "Vicente Luque has Good reason to face Belal Muhammad at UFC 205". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
  15. Steven Marrocco (2016-11-12). "UFC 205 results: Vicente Luque ends Belal Muhammad's night in 79 seconds with vicious KO". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-11-12.
  16. Staff (2017-02-04). "With Sullivan out, Randy Brown now meets Belal Muhammad at UFC 208 in Brooklyn". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-02-04.
  17. Ben Fowlkes (2017-02-11). "UFC 208 results: Belal Muhammad cruises past New York's Randy Brown for decision win". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
  18. Daniel Austin (2017-05-25). "Lethbridge fighter Jordan Mein to battle Belal Muhammad in UFC 213". calgaryherald.com. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  19. "UFC 213 results: Belal Muhammad soundly defeats Jordan Mein by unanimous decision". MMAjunkie. 2017-07-09. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  20. Staff (2017-08-17). "Belal Muhammad says he's fighting Jesse Taylor at UFC Fight Night 121 in Australia". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  21. Tristen Critchfield (2017-09-13). "'TUF 25' winner Jesse Taylor facing anti-doping violation, removed from UFC Fight Night 121". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2017-09-13.
  22. Shawn Bitter (2017-10-11). "Tim Means vs. Belal Muhammad in the works for UFC Sydney". mma-today.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2017-10-11.
  23. "UFC Fight Night 121 results: Belal Muhammad takes split from Tim Means, calls out Colby Covington". MMAjunkie. 2017-11-19. Retrieved 2017-11-19.
  24. Staff (2018-04-11). "UFC Fight Night 131 in Utica gets two new bouts". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  25. Staff (2018-05-22). "Belal Muhammad gets new opponent for UFC Fight Night 131 in Utica". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  26. "UFC Fight Night 131 results: Belal Muhammad makes easy work of Chance Rencountre". MMAjunkie. 2018-06-02. Retrieved 2018-06-02.
  27. "Belal Muhammad vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos added to UFC Fight Night 137 in Brazil". MMAjunkie. 2018-07-13. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  28. "Undefeated newcomer Luigi Vendramini replaces Belal Muhammad at UFC Sao Paulo". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  29. Mark La Monica (2018-11-06). "UFC on ESPN+ in Brooklyn gets its first scheduled bout". newsday.com. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  30. Dave Doyle (2019-01-19). "UFC Brooklyn results: Geoff Neal scores impressive win over Belal Muhammad". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
  31. DNA, MMA. "Snelle terugkeer voor Curtis Millender tegen Belal Muhammad tijdens UFC 236 in Atlanta". Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  32. "UFC 236 results: Belal Muhammad relentless pressure too much for Curtis Millender". MMA Junkie. 2019-04-14. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  33. DNA, MMA. "Belal Muhammad vs. Takashi Sato eerste gevecht voor UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi". Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  34. Anderson, Jay (2019-09-07). "UFC 242 Results: Belal Muhammad Wraps Up Win Over Takeshi Sato With Third-Round Submission". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  35. Lee, Alexander K. (2019-09-07). "Khabib Nurmagemodov leads quartet of UFC 242 performance bonuses". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  36. Mark La Monica (2020-02-12). "UFC 249: Lyman Good vs. Belal Muhammad set for welterweight bout at Barclays Center". newsday.com. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
  37. Marrocco, Steven (2020-04-20). "Lyman Good admits positive test for COVID-19, says he's healthy now and wants to fight". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  38. Danny Segura (2020-04-04). "Lyman Good out of UFC 249 bout with Belal Muhammad due to injury". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  39. Farah Hannoun (May 22, 2020). "Lyman Good to face Belal Muhammad in first UFC fight since coronavirus infection". mmajunkie.com.
  40. Jay Anderson (2020-06-21). "UFC on ESPN 11 Results: Belal Muhammad Bloodied, But Gets By Lyman Good". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  41. Farah Hannoun (2020-10-07). "Belal Muhammad vs. Sean Brady added to UFC's Dec. 19 event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  42. Farah Hannoun (2020-10-30). "Belal Muhammad says Sean Brady is out of their fight, wants Mike Perry as a replacement". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  43. DNA, MMA (2020-11-16). "Dhiego Lima vervangt uitgevallen Sean Brady tegen Belal Muhammad". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  44. Staff (2020-12-15). "COVID-19 takes Belal Muhammad out of Dhiego Lima bout at UFC Fight Night 183". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  45. Heck, Mike (2021-01-08). "Belal Muhammad vs. Dhiego Lima rebooked for UFC 258". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  46. https://mmajunkie.com/2018/06/ufc-utica-belal-muhammad-win-during-ramadan-god
  47. Lee, Alexander K. (2019-09-07). "Khabib Nurmagemodov leads quartet of UFC 242 performance bonuses". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  48. "MMAjunkie's 'Fight of the Month' for January: A bloody barnburner". mmajunkie.com. February 1, 2019.
  49. Sherdog.com. "Belal". Sherdog. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
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