Close to defending his welterweight title (up to 77,1 kg) for the first time, Belal Muhammad is determined to bring an extra element to the fight against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315. While his opponent is a boxing specialist, the Palestinian fighter is efficient in grappling, and he has stated his intention to test himself on his feet in order to showcase his skills in the noble art.
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The champion went into detail about the subject last Wednesday (12), in an interview on the American podcast ' The Coach and The Casual' . When talking about his stand-up skills, he even compared himself to boxer Canelo Alvarez , one of the main names in the sport.
“I’m going to go in there, I’m going to outbox Jack. I’m not going to take him down, and I’m going to show him what Canelo’s hands mean. I’m going to show the UFC fighters, the fans, that I’m the best boxer in the UFC, the best boxer in the welterweight division. Trust me, you want to watch it. Don’t miss it,” Muhammad said.
The fighter's statement is curious. Throughout his UFC career, he has attempted takedowns 110 times. In fact, his cage fighting and grappling were key to his victory against Leon Edwards , when he became the champion of the division.
Belal Muhammad dominated Leon Edwards and became the UFC welterweight champion. Photo: Twitter/UFC News
Furthermore, Muhammad has only two knockout victories in the world's largest MMA organization. In September 2016, he defeated Augusto Montaño and more recently, Sean Brady , at UFC 280. In addition, he has three other wins outside the UFC achieved via knockout strikes.
Belal Muhammad TKOs Sean Brady in 2022
Brady was 29 years old at the time.
The last time Colby Covington fought someone under the age of 30 was Bryan Barberena in 2016. pic.twitter.com/LNirdPgQGi
— Ocelot MMA (@Ocelot_MMA) March 21, 2023
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