Belal Muhammad didn’t keep on with the sport plan.
Earlier this month, Muhammad misplaced the UFC welterweight title, dropping a unanimous resolution to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315. Heading into the struggle, Muhammad—identified for his grappling and strain—assured followers he was bringing “Canelo fingers” to the desk towards Della Maddalena. Most followers assumed this was bluster, till Muhammad spent a lot of the combating willingly participating in a placing battle with “JDM.” Many suspected that wasn’t the precise plan, and Muhammad confirmed as a lot on Friday.
“I feel I’ve the very best group on the earth, a few of the greatest coaches on the earth, and we go into each struggle with a method and concept of what we need to do,” Muhammad stated on Keep in mind the Present. “Clearly, for us, what our technique was was to take down Jack. It wasn’t to go blow-for-blow with him, brawl-for-brawl with him.
“However, man, it’s a bizarre second if you’re coaching one thing a lot and also you’re getting higher at one thing, which I feel my placing has grown a lot and I’ve at all times stated it. Once I stated that within the lead-up, I wasn’t mendacity about it. ‘Bro, I can field with him, I can strike with him. I’m not afraid to strike with him.’ And I went on the market and I simply felt good.”
Whereas Muhammad had success on the toes, it finally wasn’t sufficient. However although he misplaced the title, Muhammad nonetheless doesn’t consider his resolution was a nasty one.
“You know the way they are saying there’s a unique vitality if you’re a champion and also you’re getting 20 % higher, for me, I at all times thought I used to be the very best on the earth,” Muhammad stated. “I nonetheless assume I’m the very best on the earth. I used to be like, ‘Bro, I can strike with this man. Individuals are telling me I can’t strike with him.’ Clearly, we misplaced the struggle, however we stood toe-to-toe with him. Individuals can say no matter they need to say and do no matter they need to do, I went towards the sport plan, I went alone, and on the finish of the day, I’m going to stay with that.
“Nevertheless it got here down to 1 spherical, possibly one change that would’ve swayed the judges a technique, so was my sport plan fallacious? I might’ve went the opposite approach. Might it have been a neater struggle? It might’ve, however on the finish of the day, I like to struggle.”
The loss was Muhammad’s first since 2019, snapping an 11-fight unbeaten streak. It additionally dropped “Keep in mind the Identify” out of the present title image, which is instantly overflowing with potential challengers at welterweight. However Muhammad believes one good win places him proper again in line to reclaim the title.
“I’m one struggle away from successful the belt. I’m one struggle away from being there,” Muhammad stated. “… I’m not silly. I’m not going to take a seat there and assume, ‘Oh, I’m going to attend for a rematch.’ I need to get again up. I need to beat one in all these guys that’s a No. 1 contender. I need to present you guys that I’m nonetheless the very best on the earth. I need to present them, ‘Who’re you going to place in entrance of me and watch what I do.’ …
“Once I’m wanting on the division, I’m wanting on the panorama of the division, I consider who it could possibly be, clearly, jumps out to the desk, if Kamaru [Usman] wins, I really feel like will probably be Kamaru if he will get previous [Joaquin] Buckley,” Muhammad added later. “You’ve acquired Ian Garry, you’ve acquired [Sean] Brady, and even when Buckley wins. … Whoever is subsequent goes to need to win one, so I feel all of it comes all the way down to how they match all people up.”
Although he’s quickly to show 37 years previous, Muhammad says this loss is only a minor setback. It took him a very long time to lastly get his title alternative, and he’s not able to name it quits simply because he misplaced his first title protection.
“I nonetheless have that starvation, need to maintain attaining greatness,” Muhammad stated. “There’s nothing in me that’s like, ‘I’m completed now, I’m unhappy now, let’s see what YouTubers are on the market.’ I’m nonetheless chasing legacy, I’m nonetheless chasing GSP. GSP misplaced his belt and he gained it again. So for my mentality, it’s, ‘We’re nonetheless right here.’ I don’t care how previous they’re or how previous they assume I’m, go in there and beat me. And there’s not quite a lot of guys which can be ready to do this.”
