Latest news with #BelalMuhammad
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Belal Muhammad eyes Madison Square Garden bout amid rumors of potential Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena pay-per-view
Belal Muhammad. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC Madison Square Garden in New York City, USA, has the eye of every other fighter due to the venue's illustrious combat sports history, with the latest desire to fight there expressed by the former welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad. The venue has seen the likes of Muhammad Ali and Conor McGregor, who have achieved significantly throughout their careers. Muhammad's interest in the venue stems from the possibility of one of the biggest pay-per-view events being held at the venue, featuring Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev . Former welterweight Belal Muhammad reveals his upcoming plan within the Octagon, wishes for Jack Della Maddalena to win his upcoming bout The newly crowned welterweight champion, Jack Della Maddalena, has had much time to sit back and relish his achievement after defeating Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. Shortly after Muhammad's debacle, UFC wasted no time in announcing a move up by Islam Makhachev to the welterweight division after vacating his lightweight title and immediately getting a title shot. Despite the lack of time to process the glorious win and prepare himself to defend the title immediately, Della Maddalena, instead, seems pretty confident and hyped up for his first title defense against Makhachev. The fighter, in a recent interview with ESPN, expressed his desire to fight in Madison Square Garden, citing the examples of Muhammad Ali and Conor McGregor, who rendered some unforgettable fight experiences for the audiences and fans at the venue. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The former welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad, also joins the league of players eyeing the venue while revealing his next plan of action within the division in a recent interview. In the latest Remember The Show episode, when the fighter asked about his opinion on the possibility of Makhachev fighting for the title against JDM happening at MSG, Muhammad quickly replied, 'Yeah, I am excited, right! If it's MSG for sure, I wanna be on that card. And definitely be on the same card as them.' The fighter justified how MSG as a venue would be a better option for Makhachev, 'I think it makes a lot of sense. I don't think it makes sense for Islam to go all the way to Perth. I think in MSG, they usually have a big card, a big night event. I don't know if they are trying to do Jon Jones for it.' Muhammad reveals the next plans for himself within the Octagon, 'For me now, it's jut locking it in and making the next guy pay. I am not the type that's gonna be like, 'Oh Jack s*cks and ….' I hope he wins. I hope he wins every single one of his fights and then we meet again and I get the belt back from him. Whoever he is fighting.' Muhammad seems quite fixed on redeeming himself from the title loss, and that too against Della Maddalena only. Also read: Former UFC champion Conor McGregor leaves fans in awe as he posts images and videos of his son engaged in soccer training UFC 315 had resulted in one of the major shakeups within the promotion. Had the situation been otherwise, with Muhammad still holding the championship belt, Makhachev wouldn't have moved up, and there would have been a heightened possibility of Makhachev facing the former featherweight Ilia Topuria
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
UFC play-by-play commentator reveals major Octagon plans for former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad
Belal Muhammad and Jon Anik. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik made a big revelation as he opened up on former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad 's future move within the Octagon . While his reign in the welterweight division was put to an end by Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, Muhammad aims at bouncing back and climbing the ladder once again to reach the top of the division. After the devastating loss, the fighter will now face the undefeated fighter of the division, Shavkat Rakhmonov, in order to restart the journey of securing the belt once again. Belal Muhammad is rumored to face the undisputed UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov, plans to conquer the title once again Weeks removed from the devastating loss faced by Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 via a unanimous decision, rumors have started resurfacing about a possible bout between the former welterweight and Shavkat Rakhmonov, the undefeated fighter with a pro-MMA record of 19-0-0. After winning the belt at UFC 304 against Leon Edwards, Muhammad was initially supposed to defend the belt against Rakhmonov at UFC 310. However, due to an unexpected bone infection on his foot, Muhammad had to withdraw from the fight. While fans remained excited for a bout between the two fighters upon Muhammad's return, they instead met with a surprise when the fighter was paired up against Jack Della Maddalena in UFC 315. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo With the fight being over now and Muhammad losing his belt, fans speculated about a possible opponent for his next bout. Muhammad's loss made it convenient for former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev to vacate his belt and move up the weight division. The Dagestani fighter will be facing Della Maddalena for a title run towards the end of this year. Since both Makhachev and Muhammad dismissed the possibility of facing each other, the latter will now be focusing on other top contenders in the division in order to secure a title run later. Fueling the fan speculation and the hope to see Muhammad and Rakhmonov go against each other finally after months of withdrawals and delays, UFC commentator Jon Anik, in a recent episode of the Anik and Florian podcast, revealed the next opponent for Muhammad's quest. Anik stated, 'We will see what Shavkat Rakhmonov has for him in October. Belal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov in October. There's your breaking news.' Also read: Belal Muhammad breaks silence on shocking circumstances behind UFC 315 title loss - 'I am going to live with that' It seems the UFC 315 setback was nothing but just a minor inconvenience for Belal Muhammad's journey as a pro MMA fighter. The former welterweight looks forward to kickstarting his title run once again and if what Anik said is legit, fans can expect an announcement shortly from the UFC. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Belal Muhammad breaks silence on shocking circumstances behind UFC 315 title loss - 'I am going to live with that'
Belal Muhammad. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC Weeks removed from the devastating loss faced by former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, the fighter reveals some shocking truths about the UFC 315 title loss against Jack Della Maddalena. While the headline event might have helped create favorable circumstances for certain shakeups across different weight divisions of the promotion, the loss came as a major setback for Muhammad, as the fighter now has to climb up the ladder again. Belal Muhammad reveals major mistakes that led to his unsuccessful title defense at UFC 315 against Jack Della Maddalena The UFC 315 headline event between former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and the newly crowned welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena was a decisive bout not just for the two welterweight fighters but also for some major shakeups across the weight categories. With Muhammad losing the title, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev vacated his title to move up the weight division, resulting in a title bout between former featherweight Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title. Muhammad, after the loss, might have to face other welterweight contenders before finally getting a chance to redeem the title. After weeks of silence and no activity, the fighter has finally started hitting the gym again, as revealed in one of his recent training clips. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Even though the fighter previously broke his silence a couple of days after the fight, stating that he would be back, the real reason behind the unsuccessful title defense was revealed only recently in an episode of Remember The Show. Hosted by Muhammad himself, the fighter revealed some shocking facts, which, if happened otherwise, might have resulted in completely different power dynamics across the divisions of the UFC. 'Our strategy was to take down Jack. It wasn't to go blow for blow with him.' Muhammad is known for his wrestling techniques that he brings to the Octagon. However, the fighter showcased a completely different strategy against Della Maddalena, which worked against him, 'I went out there and it just felt good. I went against the game plan, and at the end of the day I'm going to live with that. Was my game plan wrong? It could've went the other way. Could it have been an easier fight? It could've.' Also read: 'You don't have no legacy' - UFC fans troll Chael Sonnen as the war of words gets intense between Islam Makhachev and the American promoter Muhammad's win had the capability to change the fight dynamic across both the welterweight and the lightweight divisions of the UFC. With Muhammad and former lightweight Islam Makhachev dismissing the chances of facing each other, Muhammad's win would have stopped Makhachev from moving up the weight division, resulting in a much-anticipated bout between Makhachev and former featherweight Ilia Topuria. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Belal Muhammad admits he 'went against the gameplan' in UFC 315 title loss
Belal Muhammad admits he 'went against the gameplan' in UFC 315 title loss Belal Muhammad is happy he proved he could strike with anyone, despite losing his belt at UFC 315. Belal Muhammad is a man of his word, even if it can sometimes play against him. Muhammad promised to challenge the narrative in the MMA community that he is "just a wrestler" or "a boring fighter" by standing with skilled striker Jack Della Maddalena for his first UFC welterweight title defense earlier this month. Many took that as just talk to build up the fight, but Muhammad (24-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) followed through and went to war with Della Maddalena for 25 minutes, losing his belt in a unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 315 in Canada. Muhammad admits he didn't listen to his coaches, as the strategy was to wrestle in the fight, but he's glad he showed the world he can throw down at a high level. "Obviously, for us, our strategy was to take down Jack, it wasn't to go blow for blow with him, brawl for brawl with him," Muhammad said on "Remember the Show." "But man, it's a weird moment when you're training for something so much, and you're getting better at something, which I think my striking has grown so much. I always said it, and what I was saying in the lead up, I wasn't lying. I can box with him. I can strike with him. I'm not afraid to box with no one." Despite losing the decision, Muhammad felt he had a lot of success in the fight and thought it could've gone either way. "I can strike with this guy and people tell me I can't go in there and strike with him," Muhammad said. "Obviously, we lost the fight, but we stood toe to toe, and people can say whatever they want to say. I went against the gameplan, and at the end of the day, I'm going to live with that. But it came down to one round, maybe one exchange that could've swayed the judges that way. So, was my gameplan wrong? It 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." Muhammad is already starting to do some light training following his championship defeat. He targets an October return to the cage and is open to many matchups. However, he does have his eye on the winner of Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley, and sees that as a real possibility for his next bout. Muhammad doesn't see himself far from another title opportunity, and feels confident he'll be champion at 170 pounds once again. "There's still room for improvement, and I'm going to use the fight and improve from it," Muhammad said. "I'm going to gain it again. I'm going to get my belt back. There's nothing that's going to stop me."
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'An immediate rematch' - MMA fans sends in requests to UFC executives after Belal Muhammad's training clips go viral
Belal Muhammad. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad had a devastating loss at UFC 315 after suffering a unanimous decision loss to Jack Della Maddalena . Ahead of the bout, the fighter was quite confident about retaining the title, but much to his dismay, the results went against the fighter's prediction. With an impressive pro-MMA record , the fighter had secured the title in his bout against Leon Edwards at UFC 304. Having soaked in the loss, the fighter once again hits back at the gym with a new zeal, which has instigated the fans to call out the UFC executives for arranging a rematch for the fighter . Former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad hits back the gym, aims to bounce back from the devastating UFC 315 loss Belal Muhammad's pro-MMA career boasts an impressive record of 24-4. Before his last defeat and the title loss to Jack Della Maddalena, the fighter didn't have a single loss in the last six years and had defeated contenders like Sean Brady, Leon Edwards, and Gilbert Burns. During his tenure in the UFC, the fighter faced Leon Edwards twice. The first bout between the fighters ended in a no-contest owing to an accidental eye poke, and Muhammad later avenged himself, defeating Edwards in a title run bout. In UFC 315, most of the fans believed that the fighter would retain the title, contrary to what fate had planned for him. Even though the fighter released a statement shortly after the defeat, it is the recent training video of Muhammad that has increased the hype among fans. In a recent clip posted by Championship Rounds on X, the fighter was seen warming up, practising his moves on a boxing bag. Fans immediately vouched for a rematch between Muhammad and JDM. One of them wrote, 'His loss was a fluke was just a bad defensive and wrestling night. He need to train hard af and get an immediate rematch @ufc' Another one wrote, 'Our comeback will be historical best believe that' 'The champ is back. it's the former champ is back.' Also read: UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier voices concern over the recent coach switch by Ilia Topuria ahead of UFC 317 Even though the fighter has started hitting the gym again, however, his next steps within the division are not known yet. While fans pitch for a rematch, dragging in the UFC executives, it is hard to say if the fighter will get any, considering the recent shakeup within the weight division. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
