Belal Muhammad entered the Octagon long before he ever became UFC Champion.
Tonight, the streaking welterweight king returns in the main event of UFC 315. Moving on from a failed booking with an injured Shavkat Rakhmonov, Belal Muhammad is set to defend his title for the first time against #5-contender Jack Della Maddalena.
Currently on a 11-fight unbeaten streak, Muhammad achieved welterweight greatness last summer with a rather dominant title win over Leon Edwards at UFC 304.
It’s been a long time coming for Muhammad, who found MMA in his early 20’s. At 22, Muhammad stepped into the Octagon at UFC 125 not as a fighter but as a fan first.
Belal Muhammad practiced his takedowns after sneaking into the Octagon in 2011
UFC 125: Resolution took place on Jan. 2, 2011, the same night Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard fought to a split draw in a lightweight title fight.
A young Muhammad was in attendance in Las Vegas, Nevada and cageside, Muhammad decided to enter the Octagon while the arena was empty.
A video on the UFC broadcast showed the future world champion shadowboxing and doing shot drills, practicing his takedowns, which has won him so many fights.
Bouncing around the canvas, Muhammad grabbed the cage links, knowing one day he’d return as a UFC fighter. At the time, Muhammad only had one amateur fight to his name from a few months prior.
The fate of the UFC is in Belal Muhammad’s hands
Often mocked as one of the UFC’s least recognizable champions, everybody will be paying attention to ‘Remember The Name’ for what rides on the UFC 315 main event.
Earlier this week, UFC CEO Dana White and Ilia Topuria both confirmed the next lightweight title fight will be determined by who takes the welterweight title between defending champ Muhammad and challenger Jack Della Maddalena.
If Muhammad wins, Islam Makhachev will more than likely meet Topuria in a highly-anticipated title fight at lightweight.
If Della Maddalena pulls off the upset, it’d be Ilia Topuria vs. former champion Charles Oliveira instead with Makhachev moving up to fight JDM for a second belt at welterweight. Makhachev says he won’t vacate the lightweight title no matter tonight’s result.
How the 155lb and 170lb division will shake out, all depends on one Belal Muhammad, a champion who hasn’t lost in the last five years.