Belal Muhammad finds himself near the top of the welterweight division and could get a title shot soon. Having made a steady rise to the top, Muhammad has disproved a lot of haters. Now, with a solid resume and without a defeat in 9 outings, Belal is in the form of his life.
Currently #4 in the UFC welterweight rankings, Belal has taken down some big names to get to this spot. Notably, Belal has recorded wins over Dhiego Lima, Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson, and Demian Maia. Most recently, Belal delivered a fantastic KO/TKO finish to rising prospect Sean Brady at UFC 280.
Thus, Belal has now solidified himself as one of the top contenders. Moreover, he has come a long way from being a one-dimensional wrestler. With a lot known about his fighting prowess and journey to the top, let’s find out more about his parents and his ties to Dagestan.
Belal Muhammad parents and family
Whilst Belal was born and raised in the United States, many have often wondered why he raises a Palestine flag for his fights. For those unaware, Belal’s mother hails from Al Bireh in Palestine. Thus, since his dad is from the USA, it makes “Remember the Name” an American-Palestinian fighter.
According to sources, Belal’s father is Abdullah Muhammad and his mother’s name is Maha Muhammad. Born in 1988 in Chicago, Illinois, Belal has not forgotten his roots. As such, he loves to support and pay homage to his parents’ hometown inside the Octagon. Previously, Belal’s father owned a cell phone store in Chicago which was unfortunately vandalized during a Black Lives Matter protest in June 2020.
Notably, the 34-year-old also has a sister, Amyra, who previously opened her own pharmaceutical clinic in Whiting, Indiana. Moreover, Belal is a devout Muslim, and often speaks to others and educates them about his faith.
Belal Muhammad’s ties to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dagestan
For his recent fights against Sean Brady and Vicente Luque, Belal went to seek the guidance of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Easily one of the best lightweights in UFC history, Khabib’s invaluable words of wisdom have transformed Belal into a much more ruthless and relentless fighter. Thus, he even gave his thanks to the Eagle in his Octagon interview after beating Sean Brady.
Training with Khabib, current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Co., Belal has learned a lot. Speaking to Joe Rogan on his podcast, Belal revealed how competitive their training was in Dagestan. According to Belal, they have a completely different and much stricter approach to training. When it comes to sparring, Dagestani fighters believe in fighting all out and not losing a single minute in grappling.
During the camp, Belal has also experienced their competitiveness in other things as well. Most notably, Belal referred to an incident whilst playing soccer. As it turns out Khabib was unhappy with Belal and the rest of their team’s performance. Thus, he just assumed control and took over the game by himself. Such examples have been key in inspiring Belal throughout camp. Hence, he now shares a close bond with Khabib, Islam, and the rest of their team.