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UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad is set attempt his first title defence against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 305 this weekend.
Born July 9, 1988 in Chicago, Illinois, Muhammad is an American by nationality. He was born to Palestinian parents and is extremely proud of his roots. Belal Muhammad carries the Palestine into the octagon for every fight and also shows it off by wrapping it around his shoulders after every win. In his own words, Belal Muhammad is never one to "shy away from representing his people."
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The former Titan FC welterweight champion kicked off his MMA career in 2012 with a TKO win. He went on to achieve a 9-0 record before losing to Alan Jouban during his UFC debut.
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Belal Muhammad became the first Palestinian UFC champion
Belal Muhammad defeated Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in dominant fashion, outclassing him for five rounds by effectively mixing up striking and wrestling to become the welterweight title holder.
In doing so, Muhammad became the first UFC champion of Arab origin and also the first Palestinian fighter to achieve this feat.
Muhammad has also used the UFC platform to show support for the Palestinian cause. The welterweight champion has routinely shared photos and videos of the hardships suffered by Palestinian people on his social media handles, especially during the Israel-Palestine armed conflict that arose after Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
While some have extended their support for Muhammad, a few, including controversial former middleweight champion Sean Strickland, have criticized him for allegedly instigating violence with his stance on the issue.
On the professional front, Muhammad will attempt his first welterweight title defence against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on May 10. The event will take place at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
While Kazakhstan's Shavkat Rakhmonov was originally expected to be the challenger, an injury forced him to sit on the sidelines. No.8-ranked Ian Machado Garry, who recently defeated Carlos Prates, has offered to be the back-up fighter for Muhammad vs. Maddalena.
