Former UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad finds himself in uncharted territory following his loss at UFC Qatar.
“Remember the Name” entered the UFC Qatar co-main event looking to get back into the win column after losing the 170 lbs. belt to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, but instead the 37-year-old is now on the first two-fight skid of his career after dropping a decision to Ian Machado Garry.
The welterweight division is suddenly full of young contenders that all have a case to challenge for the title, and the 37-year-old Muhammad is sitting in a difficult spot as he approaches his tenth year on the UFC roster.
Belal Muhammad Shares Statement After UFC Qatar Loss
Muhammad won’t get the chance to snap his losing skid this year unless he were to make a shocking turnaround for one of the two UFC events scheduled for December, but the former champion is more than ready to put in the work and prepare for a return at some point next year.
“We couldn’t get it done Thankyou Doha for the memories Thankyou to my team and family and friends that are with me no matter what and Thankyou to anyone that’s with me ..Alhamdillah for everything I’m blessed to be here …we have work to do”
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Prior to meeting Della Maddalena at UFC 315, Muhammad was on a 10-fight win streak dating back to 2019. The lone setback during that stretch was a 2021 No Contest against Leon Edwards, but “Remember the Name” erased the memory of that disappointing result when he took Edwards’ welterweight belt in their rematch at UFC 304.
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A win at UFC Qatar could have set Muhammad up for a chance to reclaim his title, but instead it’s Machado Garry who’s now calling for what would be his first crack at UFC gold.
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“The Future” does have a strong case for a title shot given that he just beat the division’s former champion and is undefeated outside of last year’s loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov, who many fans believe is still the division’s clear number one contender. “Nomad” went the distance for the first time when he met Machado Garry at UFC 310 to bring his professional record to 19-0, which includes six finishes since joining the UFC.
Shavkat Rakhmonov (red gloves) reacts with Ian Machado Garry (blues gloves) after their fight at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
The welterweight title picture looks to be wide open after Islam Makhachev unseated Della Maddalena and won the division’s title at UFC 322. That event also saw Michael Morales and Carlos Prates throw themselves into the mix for a championship opportunity with knockouts of Sean Brady and former titleholder Edwards.
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